High Prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD)

• An unusually high incidence of the chronic kidney disease (CKD) is common to four regions in Goa, Maharashtra, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.
• Some survey pointing at contamination of groundwater as a possible cause.
• A study had found clinical similarities between Balkan Endemic Nephropathy — a familial, chronic renal disease — and the CKD cases in Canacona (Goa). It noted that the level of Ochratoxin A, a food-contaminating fungi metabolite, was found to be higher among people who suffered from the condition, like it did in the Balkans.
• Also, soil is impervious so water doesn’t percolate, preventing groundwater recharge. And this leads to high salinity. Concentration of total dissolved solids in the water was found to be as high as 9,000 ppm (parts per million) in some parts when the desirable limit is 1,500 ppm.
• But yet there is very less monetary support for this research, although this survey backed by observational evidences but still it lacks scientific evidences.

About chronic kidney disease (CKD):

• Chronic kidney disease includes conditions that damage kidneys and decrease their ability to keep healthy. If kidney disease gets worse, wastes can build to high levels in blood and make person feel sick.
• Some may develop complications like high blood pressure, anemia (low blood count), weak bones, poor nutritional health and nerve damage. Also, kidney disease increases risk of having heart and blood vessel disease.
• The two main causes of chronic kidney disease are diabetes and high blood pressure, which are responsible for up to two-thirds of the cases.

Other conditions that affect the kidneys are:

• Glomerulonephritis, a group of diseases that cause inflammation and damage to the kidney's filtering units. These disorders are the third most common type of kidney disease.
• Inherited diseases, such as polycystic kidney disease, which causes large cysts to form in the kidneys and damage the surrounding tissue.
• Malformations that occur as a baby develops in its mother's womb. For example, a narrowing may occur that prevents normal outflow of urine and causes urine to flow back up to the kidney. This causes infections and may damage the kidneys.
• Lupus and other diseases that affect the body's immune system.
• Obstructions caused by problems like kidney stones, tumors or an enlarged prostate gland in men.
• Repeated urinary infections.

By: Vishal