About half of 844 million global CKD cases remain undiagnosed
Turns out, about half of the world's 844 million chronic kidney disease (CKD) cases aren't even diagnosed yet, according to a new Lancet study.
CKD is sneaky: it usually doesn't show symptoms until it's really serious and needs things like dialysis or a transplant.
The issue is even bigger in low- and middle-income countries, but even wealthier nations see 30% to 50% of cases go unnoticed.
Undiagnosed CKD raises global death risk
Undiagnosed CKD can lead to kidney failure or early death, and experts say it might become the fifth biggest cause of death worldwide by 2040.
The study also found that women and nonwhite groups are more likely to miss out on a diagnosis.
Since risk factors include things like diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, and just getting older, researchers recommend routine urine protein tests (and more investment in screening) so people can catch CKD early and get better treatment options.