Rising lifestyle diseases fuel kidney health crisis, experts warn

Kalaburagi: Kidney disease has emerged as a major public health concern rather than a condition affecting a limited population, driven by lifestyle changes and rising cases of diabetes and hypertension, said Dr Mohammed Shahid Ali, consultant (urology, uro-oncology and robotic surgery) at Manipal Hospital, Bengaluru.Addressing the media here on Monday, Dr Ali said heat-related stress and dehydration were also contributing significantly to the growing burden of kidney disorders in Karnataka. He noted that environmental and occupational exposures were playing a bigger role than earlier believed, with prolonged contact with heavy metals, pesticides and industrial chemicals increasingly linked to kidney damage and cancers.Highlighting the importance of specialised surgical care, Dr Ali cited the case of a 48-year-old patient with recurrent kidney cancer after an earlier partial tumour removal elsewhere. The recurrence was aggressive, involving the entire kidney, surrounding blood vessels and a tumour-related clot. A complex redo surgery was performed to remove a nearly 10-cm tumour along with affected vessels and tumour thrombus. The patient has remained cancer-free for five years without additional therapy.Another specialist, Dr Mohammed Fahad Khan, consultant (nephrology & transplant physician), shared the case of a 55-year-old patient with long-standing diabetes and hypertension who developed advanced chronic kidney disease. After evaluation and counselling, the patient underwent a successful robotic kidney transplant with his wife as the donor and subsequently showed marked improvement.The doctors stressed the need for early detection, preventive care and stronger organ donation efforts to address the rising incidence of kidney disease.
Get real-time updates and result insights on the Assam HS Result 2026 and Gujarat Election Results 2026