Herbal medicine, painkillers linked to kidney disease risk – specialists

One out of ten adult Filipinos suffers from damaged kidneys—and over-the-counter drugs may aggravate the condition, according to the Philippine Society of Nephrology (PSN).

In a press conference on Tuesday, PSN president Dr. Susan Dela Rama warned the public against the use of over-the-counter drugs, including pain killers without the advice of a doctor.

"'Yung mga mahilig mag-self-medicate, inom ng inom ng kung anu-anong pain relievers... these medicines can aggravate," Dela Rama said.

"We have this culture of asking our neighbors, friends, kung anong mas mabuti. Hindi tamang practice iyan," she said. "Dapat titignan muna ng doctor kung mayroon silang early signs of kidney disease, kasi kung may early signs, hindi na dapat ma-aggravate."

Fellow nephrologist and PSN member Dr. Noel Castillo also warned against the use of alternative medications, including herbal medicines, which may have content that could damage the kidneys.

"There are actually herbal medications that are harmful to kidneys. In fact, 'yung mga Chinese herbs, mayroong content iyon na talagang nakaka-damage ng kidneys," he said.

He, too, stressed the importance of seeking medical help for health problems.

"Anything you have to take, dapat alam ng doktor. Ang problema sa ibang herbal medication, particularly ang Chinese herbs, hindi mo mabasa 'yung nasa bote kasi Chinese characters iyon," he said. "It's better if you are taking something, you must clear it with your doctor first."

Economic implications

Citing information based on the 2008 National Nutrition and Survey conducted by the Department of Science and Technology's Food and Nutrition Research Institute, around 9.4 percent or 6 million Filipino adults are suffering from kidney damage.

Dela Rama noted that the rate has more than tripled since 2003.

She also pointed out that that the number of new patients starting on dialysis has been increasing by more than 10 percent every year for the past ten years.

With that, the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) has also recorded an increase in the applications for financial assistance for dialysis treatment, Dela Rama said.

"Because of the increasing number of patients, claims for dialysis treatment reached about P2.2 billion in 2012, based on Philhealth data," she said.

"That's a very big number. Kumbaga, the Philippines is paying a lot of money for patients with kidney disease," she added.

Kidney donors needed

If a patient's kidneys fail, the PSN recommends kidney transplantation as a best-outcome option. However, not everyone can afford it, Dela Rama said.

"About [P800,000] to P1.2 million ang fee sa mga private hospitals, it depends really sa kailangan; pero kung sa government, less ang expenses," she noted. "Pero siyempre, hindi lang sa transplantation natatapos. After niyan, may kailangan pang-i-take ang patient."

She noted that the survival of a patient after transplantation is high as long as they keep up with the proper lifestyle.

However, the number of organ donations in the country are relatively low, and could not keep up with the number of patients, she said.

Prevention is key

Dela Rama said the only way to hinder damage to the kidneys is through prevention, by following the eight "golden rules" in preventing kidney disease:

• Keeping fit and active
• Controlling your blood sugar level
• Controlling your blood pressure level
• Eating healthy and keeping your weight in check
• Ensuring adequate fluid intake
• Not smoking
• Avoiding intake of unnecessary drugs, supplements, toxins
• Checking your kidney function if you have any of the "high-risk" factors, which includes diabetes mellitus, hypertension, obesity, and family history.

She also noted that most patients with kidney disease do not show signs or symptoms in the early phase of the disease so a "routine screening" is helpful.

Dela Rama suggests undergoing "three simple tests" to screen for damages to the kidney: blood pressure measurement, urinalysis, and serum creatinine. — BM/KG, GMA News