Chronic Kidney Disease and Hypertension: Twin Challenges for 21st Century Europe

Strasbourg, France (ots/PRNewswire) -

- Meeting at European Parliament relays stark message and calls
for action to support early identification and treatment of CKD,
especially among patients at greatest risk

The European Kidney Health Alliance (EKHA) and World Kidney Day
(WKD) organisations today call for action at EU level to support
early awareness, identification and treatment of CKD and its
associated diseases such as cardiovascular disease (CVD),
hypertension (high blood pressure) and diabetes. The MEP Group for
Kidney Health, launched on WKD last year, met at the European
Parliament in Strasbourg today with an eminent panel of renal
experts, politicians, and patient and kidney organisations. The
meeting relayed the stark message that unchecked high blood pressure
may severely damage the kidneys and is a major cause of CKD.

Speaking at the event, Professor Andrew Rees, Chairman of EKHA
commented, "Although, chronic kidney disease affects at least 10% of
the European population, there is very little awareness of the
problems it causes. EKHA was formed to increase understanding of the
challenges posed by CKD and to promote effective public health
strategies to fight what has been called Europe's silent epidemic."

Greater efforts to prevent CKD and to detect its earliest stages
are needed to slow the progression of kidney disease to kidney
failure and to prevent the complications it causes, including
hypertension and other cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks
and strokes.(1) Conversely hypertension is an important cause of CKD.
To support this event and the WKD 2009 'Keep the pressure down'
campaign, a pan-European survey, sponsored by an educational grant
from Amgen, was conducted among 486 people treated for cardiovascular
disease. Worryingly, the survey showed that three quarters of
patients (73%) with CVD -- most of whom have high blood pressure --
were unaware of their increased risk of CKD. Only half (47%) of those
surveyed had had their kidney function checked by their physician
and, most worrying of all, over 80% of those surveyed had had no
discussion with their physician about the steps they could take to
look after their kidneys.

Commenting on the results Professor Carmine Zoccali from the
Institute of Biomedicine, Clinical Epidemiology and Physiopathology
of Renal Diseases and Hypertension, Hospital Riuniti, Italy, added,
"These results are alarming, we need to act now to educate people
with cardiovascular diseases such as high blood pressure to help
minimise their risk of developing CKD. Simple measures and screening
can help reduce the number of people needlessly suffering from CKD
and its consequences which can severely impact on patients' health
and quality of life."

In its most advanced stage CKD requires renal replacement therapy
(RRT) with dialysis or transplantation. The current EU debate on
organ donation and transplantation underlines the need to address the
shortage of organs for transplantation. The European Parliament's
official resolution on organ donation and transplantation recognises
the importance not only of cooperation between Member States on
addressing this shortage, but of the necessity for public health
measures to facilitate the early detection and management of the
chronic diseases such as CKD, and so prevent those affected from ever
developing kidney failure. Preventative strategies are the only way
to minimise the number of people needing organ transplants in the
future.

Mrs. Frieda Brepoels MEP commented, "I strongly believe the
European Union can play a significant role in encouraging Member
States to take urgent action to acknowledge the size of the problem
of chronic kidney disease and high blood pressure and the other
diseases linked to them, and to develop effective strategies to
prevent the death and suffering they cause. Progress can be made by
exchanging best practices between Member States and by improving
existing technologies to detect kidney disease so as to assure that
every European citizen has equal access to high-quality health care."

The link between CKD and CVD works both ways: hypertension and
other cardiovascular diseases cause CKD and CKD causes hypertension
and greatly increases the risk of developing other types of
cardiovascular disease. Indeed, people with CKD are more likely to
die of CVD than to develop kidney failure.(2) Increasing awareness of
kidney disease is the first and perhaps most important step towards
preventing kidney failure. The EKHA calls on the EU to use its
authoritative voice to support National Governments in developing
public health programs that acknowledge the importance of preventing
CKD.

The EKHA event at the European Parliament, Strasbourg is
supported by Amgen and HemoCue.

Notes to editors:

About the EKHA

The European Kidney Health Alliance (EKHA) is an alliance of
not-for-profit organisations that represent the key stakeholders in
kidney health issues in Europe. EKHA member organisations are CEAPIR
(European Kidney Patients' Federation), EDTNA/ERCA (European Dialysis
and Transplant Nurses Association/European Renal Care Association),
ERA-EDTA (European Renal Association - European Dialysis and
Transplant Association), IFKF (International Federation of Kidney
Foundations). More information at www.ekha.eu

About World Kidney Day

World Kidney Day (WKD) is a global health awareness campaign
focusing on the importance of our kidneys and reducing the frequency
and impact of kidney disease and its associated health problems
worldwide. The campaign is celebrated every year on the second
Thursday of March in more than 100 countries on six continents.

About Amgen

Amgen discovers, develops, manufactures 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 our
pioneering science and our vital medicines, visit www.amgen.com.

About HemoCue

HemoCue, a Quest Diagnostics company, is a leading global company
in a field of diagnostics known as near patient, or point of care,
testing. In 1982, HemoCue introduced the first system making accurate
haemoglobin testing possible in near patient settings. The company
also manufactures point of care tests for glucose and urine albumin.
Quest Diagnostics acquired HemoCue in 2007. More information at
www.hemocue.com.

About CKD and its Symptoms

Chronic Kidney Disease is the general name for persistent
irreversible damage to the kidney. In its earliest stages, the
kidneys may only have minor structural damage. Often such damage
tends to progress if undetected and untreated. One of the signs of
early CKD is the presence of small amounts of protein in the urine.
More advanced CKD is characterised by progressively greater
abnormalities in the chemical composition of the blood, anaemia - a
cause of tiredness and shortness of breath - and bone abnormalities.
The most advanced form of CKD occurs when the kidney has been nearly
completely destroyed and treatment with dialysis or kidney
transplantation is required for survival. Many individuals with CKD
do not progress to kidney failure and treatment has the twin
objectives of correcting the abnormalities resulting from the kidney
damage and of preventing progression to more advanced stages.

Many factors contribute to the progression of CKD. The most
common causes are diabetes, hypertension, and generalised
atherosclerosis. Especially when these factors are associated with
the loss of albumin in the urine, renal function will rapidly decline
with end stage renal disease being the outcome. An ageing population
coupled with the growing prevalence of obesity-related type 2
diabetes has increased the number of people with or at risk of CKD.

About the Survey

The survey was conducted by research agency TNS, among 962
patients, across 5 European countries (France, Germany, UK, Italy and
Spain). The sample comprised 227 patients with diabetes, 486 with
CVD, and 233 with both conditions. 16 further patients had CKD in
combination with diabetes and/or CVD. The survey was conducted to
highlight the current gaps in knowledge among at-risk groups (CVD and
diabetes patients) and the importance of public health strategies to
address the urgent need for CKD recognition. The survey was conducted
in February 2009.

(1) A. Levey, A. Schoolwerth, N. Burrows, D. Williams, K. Stith, W.
McClellan, Comprehensive Public Health Strategies for Preventing the
Development, Progression, and Complications of CKD: Report of an
Expert Panel Convened by the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, Am J Kidney Diseases, 2008 53: 3 522-535
(2) Shulman NB, Ford CE, Hall WD, et al. Prognostic value of serum
creatinine and effect of treatment of hypertension on renal function:
results from the hypertension detection and follow-up program. The
Hypertension Detection and Follow-up Program Cooperative
Group.Hypertension. 1989;13(5 suppl):I80-I93.

ots Originaltext: European Kidney Health Alliance
Im Internet recherchierbar: http://www.presseportal.de

Contact:
Anna Rouillard of EKHA, +32-2-639-6230, anna.rouillard@ekha.eu; or
Angela Guillemet of WKD, +353-863-11-40-67, info@worldkidneyday.org