SYDNEY, Nov. 19, 2018 (BSS/XINHUA) – More than one-third of Australians
with type two diabetes will develop chronic kidney disease (CKD), raising
their risk of cardiovascular mortality to “exceptionally high,” scientists
said on Monday.
In an editorial published in the Medical Journal of Australia, Professor
Vlado Perkovic, executive director of the George Institute for Global Health
Australia, and Ph.D. candidate Dr. Brendon Neuen, said that even more
concerning was that the relative likelihood of cardiovascular disease-related
death is substantially higher for younger patients.
According to the report, it’s worrying that the burden of type 2 diabetes
in young people is rapidly increasing worldwide. In little more than a
decade, the number of people aged 20-39 with type 2 diabetes has almost
tripled, rising from 23 to 63 million.
At present, clinical trials aimed at reducing the risk of cardiovascular
events and death in patients with CKD have proved unsuccessful.
The report called for a redoubling of efforts to increase the number and
improve the quality of trials.
“We also need to urgently identify treatments that slow the loss of kidney
function and prevent cardiovascular disease in people with diabetes,
especially those with established nephropathy,” the scientists said.
Vlado and Brendonalso also suggested broader health strategies to prevent
type 2 diabetes in the first place.
“We should embrace opportunities to take a lead role in advocating
policies that recognize the environmental and behavioural drivers of diabetes
and other chronic health conditions,” they said.