Chronic KidneyDisease affects approximately 10% of the world’s adult population: it is within
the top 20 causes of death worldwide, and its impact on patients and their
families can be devastating. World Kidney Day and International Women’s Day in
2018 coincide, thus offering an opportunity to reflect on the importance of
women’s health and specifically their kidney health, on the community, and the
next generations, as well as to strive to be more curious about the unique
aspects of kidney disease in women so that we may apply those learnings more
broadly.
Girls and women,
who make up approximately 50% of the world’s population, are important
contributors to society and their families. Gender differences continue to
exist around the world in access to education, medical care, and participation
in clinical studies. Pregnancy is a unique state for women, offering an
opportunity for diagnosis of kidney disease, but also a state where acute and
chronic kidney diseases may manifest, and which may impact future generations
with respect to kidney health. There are various autoimmune and other
conditions that are more likely to impact women with profound consequences for
child bearing, and on the fetus. Women have different complications on dialysis
than men, and are more likely to be donors than recipients of kidney transplants.In this editorial,
we focus on what we do and do not know about women, kidney health, and kidney
disease, and what we might learn in the future to improve outcomes worldwide.
Chronic Kidney
Disease (CKD) affects approximately 10% of the world’s adult population: it is
within the top 20 causes of death worldwide and its impact on patients and
their families can be devastating. World Kidney Day and International Women’s
Day in 2018 coincide, thus offering an opportunity to reflect on the importance
of women’s health and specifically their kidney health, on the community, and
the next generations; as well as to strive to be more curious about the unique
aspects of kidney disease in women, so that we may apply those learnings more
broadly.
Girls and women, who make up approximately 50% of the world’s
population, are important contributors to society and their families. Besides
childbearing, women are essential in childrearing and contribute to sustaining
family and community health. Women in the 21st century continue to strive for
equity in business, commerce, and professional endeavours, while recognizing
that in many situations, equity does not exist. In various locations around the
world, access to education and medical care is not equitable amongst men and
women; women remain under-represented in many clinical research studies,
thus limiting the evidence base on which to make
recommendations to ensure best outcomes (Figure 1). In this editorial,
we focus on what we do and do not know about women’s kidney health and kidney
disease, and what we might learn in the future to improve outcomes for all.
No comments:
Post a Comment