CKD’s extensive impact
CKD involves the gradual loss of kidney function, which disrupts the body’s critical systems. It often progresses without symptoms until the later stages — at which point it may be that only a third or less of kidney function remains.(2,5,6)
In Europe, an estimated 100 million adults live with CKD, with another 300 million at risk.
Reduced kidney function can be detected early with simple urine and blood tests.(7) But these tests are underutilized, even for high-risk CKD patients — such as those with diabetes. This may be partly because kidney health is not prioritized in public health policies.(8) For instance, despite kidney disease affecting an estimated 850 million people globally(9) and CKD being projected as the fifth leading cause of death by 2040,(3) CKD is still not recognized by the World Health Organization as a priority non-communicable disease, neither is it highlighted in the 2022-2027 EU Non-Communicable Diseases Initiative ”Healthier Together”.(10,11)
In Europe, an estimated 100 million adults live with CKD, with another 300 million at risk.(12) Alarmingly, global stats estimate fewer than 10 percent of the affected know they have the disease.(13)
The impact of CKD extends beyond physical health. Nearly a third of CKD patients in stage 3 to 5 experience anxiety or depression, and treatments such as dialysis and kidney transplants are invasive and life-altering.(14,15) Later stages of the disease can also take a heavy toll on families, who often face financial strain and disruptions to daily life while caring for loved ones.(2)
For health care systems, the costs are staggering. Europe allocates approximately €140 billion annually to CKD and kidney failure.(4) In many high-income countries, end-stage CKD accounts for 2 to 3 percent of health care budgets, despite affecting just 0.03 percent of the population.(16)