Don't Wait For A Kidney Transplant - Asians, Black Africans And Caribbeans Need To Get Screened Now For Kidney Disease

Main Category: Transplants / Organ Donations
Also Included In: Urology / Nephrology
Article Date: 26 Jan 2009 - 5:00 PDT

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Prevention is better than cure and early detection the key. Relatives of people who have kidney problems and anyone specifically from certain ethnic groups (Black Africans and Caribbeans and South Asians) are being sought to take part in the second phase of a national screening pilot for chronic kidney disease. (CKD)

People from these groups have a higher risk of developing the disease as CKD is three times higher in these ethnic groups than in white Europeans. All they have to do is either turn up at The Royal London Hospital on a Saturday or phone to book an appointment during the week.

This is the second phase of Kidney Research UK's screening pilot for chronic kidney disease (CKD). As well as at The Royal London Hospital, screening is taking place at Aston Pride Community Health Centre - Birmingham and Woodlands Medical Practice - Chadderton/Oldham. The aim is to screen up to 2,000 people at the four sites over the three month period.

Appointments take about 45 minutes and volunteers for screening will have their blood pressure taken, weight and height checked, give a urine sample and blood samples with results forwarded on in four to six weeks.

Clare Whittaker Clinical Nurse Specialist for kidney transplants at The Royal London Hospital said: "We need to prevent future renal failure or the need for future kidney transplants in these high-risk groups and screening is an excellent way of doing it. By screening now and for the next few months we can tell if, for example, people have any tell-tale signs of kidney disease like hypertension (high blood pressure), diabetes or other abnormalities. By identifying the problem now we can save people from a possible future on dialysis or even the necessity for a kidney transplant."

The screenings are being trialled because CKD affects around three million people in the UK, many of whom are unaware of the condition. Identifying the disease is easy but it often goes undetected as those affected often display no symptoms, although people with a family history of the disease, people with high blood pressure or diabetes are common sufferers.

Early detection can have a significant impact on patient outcomes because changes in lifestyle and diet can slow down the progression of the disease, delaying the need for dialysis or transplantation. The Community Screening Day is part of a national pilot being conducted in association with the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, sponsored by pharmaceutical companies Roche and Amgen. Siemens has also provided equipment in support of the study.

Professor Yaqoob, Professor of Renal Medicine at The Royal London Hospital, says: "We're delighted to be able to support the screening sessions in this very important second pilot. We want to use this occasion to increase the awareness of the disease amongst the high-risk groups in the local community, and we would ask Asian and Black African and Caribbean people to come forward and be assessed. There is no substitute for early diagnosis and intervention. Prevention is better than cure".

Further information can be obtained from the Kidney Health Information Line on 0845 300 1499. Individuals who think they may be at risk should contact their doctor or alternatively contact the Kidney Health Information Line on 0845 300 1499 or visit www.kidneyresearchuk.org.

About CKD

CKD is difficult to detect early, as those affected often display no symptoms, although people with high blood pressure (hypertension), diabetes and certain ethnic groups have a higher risk. Early detection however can have a significant impact on patient outcomes because blood pressure treatment and changes in lifestyle can slow down the progression of the disease thus delaying the need for dialysis or transplantation.

Ten per cent of adults in the UK have some form of kidney damage yet only 3.7 per cent have been identified, which means that at least 6 per cent of those affected are unidentified and unaware of their condition.

The Royal London Hospital, part of Barts and The Royal London NHS Trust, is based in Whitechapel in the East End of London. The nearest Underground station is Whitechapel. The full address is:

The Royal London Hospital
Whitechapel Road
Whitechapel
London
E1 1BB

Barts and The London is one of Britain's top teaching hospital trusts. Our mission is literally to bring excellence to life - to give patients the best possible care so that they can live better, fuller, longer lives.

Our world renowned hospitals - St Bartholomew's (Barts) in the City, The Royal London in Whitechapel and The London Chest in Bethnal Green - have made and continue to make an outstanding contribution to modern medicine.

Our hospitals' full portfolio of specialist centres includes the country's biggest heart attack centre, world renowned kidney disease centre, leading edge cancer specialties, one of the UK's largest children's hospitals and a highly successful fertility centre. Home to London's air ambulance, Barts and The London is also one of the capital's leading trauma and emergency care centres.

About Kidney Research UK

Kidney Research UK was formerly known as The National Kidney Research Fund, having changed its name in October 2005. For over 40 years, it has been the UK's leading kidney charity, funding research into the prevention, treatment, and management of kidney diseases. It also dedicates its work to patient care and educational initiatives.

About Queen Elizabeth Hospital

Queen Elizabeth Hospital is run by University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (UHB) which is the main NHS centre for clinical research in the Midlands. UHB's vision is to deliver the best in care. Between them, its two hospitals, Queen Elizabeth and Selly Oak, provide adult services for the population of south Birmingham and a range of specialist services for the wider region and beyond. UHB is a regional centre for burns, plastics, trauma and cancer and hosts the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine. It is also the largest solid organ transplant centre in Europe. UHB is currently building a new £545 million hospital, in partnership with Consort Healthcare. It is the biggest current single site hospital development in the UK.

About Amgen

Amgen discovers, develops, manufacturers and delivers innovative human therapeutics. A biotechnology pioneer since 1980, Amgen was one of the first companies to realize the new science's promise by bringing safe and effective medicines from lab, to manufacturing plant, to patient. Amgen therapeutics have changed the practice of medicine, helping millions of people around the world in the fight against cancer, kidney disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and other serious illnesses. With a deep and broad pipeline of potential new medicines, Amgen remains committed to advancing science to dramatically improve people's lives. To learn more about Amgen's pioneering science and our vital medicines, visit http://www.amgen.com.

About Roche in the UK

Roche aims to improve people's health and quality of life with innovative products and services for the early detection, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease. Part of one of the world's leading healthcare groups, Roche in the UK employs nearly 2,000 people in pharmaceuticals and diagnostics. Globally Roche is the leader in diagnostics, and a major supplier of medicines for the treatment of cancer, transplantation, virology, bone and rheumatology, obesity and renal anaemia.

Roche in the UK

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