MORE than two-thirds of new patients on dialysis have Type 2 diabetes, a worrying trend which shows poor awareness of a healthy lifestyle among Malaysians, the Malaysian Society of Nephrology said.

Type 2 diabetes, which is largely lifestyle- and diet-related, was found in 69% of new patients on dialysis, the society’s president Prof Dr Abdul Halim Abdul Gafor said.

This is according to the Malaysian Dialysis and Transplant Registry 2018, while the National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2019 by the Health Ministry has also found that the prevalence of diabetes in adults has increased from 13.4% in 2015 to 18.3% in 2019.

“(While) kidney failure patients these days have a much better quality of life compared to years before (and) dialysis patients can enjoy more independence and flexibility… what is important now is awareness among Malaysians so that the necessary lifestyle changes can be adopted early, as early intervention can promote better outcomes. 

‘“We urge all Malaysians to go for regular check-ups with their GP to be up to date on their health status,” Halim said in a statement.

Yesterday, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said Malaysia is considered an unhealthy country as it has a high number of people suffering from heart disease and obesity. 

Malaysians also generally have a low awareness of health, with one in two people being obese.

“If you ask me if Malaysia is now a healthy country, my answer is no. We are among countries that are tops in terms of obesity, heart disease and among the leading causes of Covid-19 death in the country is because most of the patients have comorbidities or chronic diseases,” Khairy said on a TV talk show.

Halim said high blood sugar (blood glucose) can damage blood vessels in the kidneys. 

“When damaged, the kidneys will not work as well. Many patients with diabetes will also develop high blood pressure, which can also damage the kidneys. However, with care, the progression to chronic kidney disease (CKD) in diabetes patients can be delayed.

“A percentage of those with CKD will eventually progress to kidney failure or end stage kidney disease (ESKD) and require either a kidney transplant or dialysis; however, we wish to encourage these patients not to give up hope as options in dialysis treatments and management of kidney failure has improved greatly over the years.

“As the kidneys are one of the most affected organs in diabetes patients, it is advisable for diabetics to go for regular scheduled blood and urine tests to monitor the kidney function. With regular monitoring of kidneys in patients with diabetes, the progression to CKD can be managed or delayed.” – November 12, 2021.