220,000 patients need renal replacement therapy every year in India

With kidney-related diseases on the rise, 220,000-275,000 patients need Renal Replacement Therapy (RRT) in India every year, experts have said.

According to them, several Indian population-based studies in the past estimated the incidence of End-Stage Kidney Disease (ESKD) at 150-230 per million.

"There are different kinds of renal diseases, some even leading to end-stage kidney disease (ESKD). Among the major reasons behind the damage of kidneys are diabetes, hardening of arteries and high blood pressure. The number of people needing the RRTs have increased over the years," said Ramesh Jain, head of center for Kidney Transplant and Renal Sciences at city based Saroj Super Speciality Hospital.

Renal replacement therapy (RRT) is therapy to replace the normal blood-filtering function of the kidneys. It is used when the kidneys are not working well, which is called renal failure and includes acute kidney injury and chronic kidney disease.

He said the number of Indians suffering from kidney failure has doubled in the last 15 years with a 10 percent rise in the number of citizens undergoing dialysis.