In the past decade, the number of Canadians over age 65 with kidney failure shot up by 132 percent, reports this story in Toronto's C-Health. Because anyone with kidney failure needs either dialysis or a kidney transplant, such a quick rise in the number of cases has the potential to seriously burden the health-care system, according to the Canadian Institute for Health Information.
Everyone is born with two kidneys and when they function properly, they clean waste products out of the blood through the urine, and then help recirculate clean blood throughout the body. Kidneys are also responsible for the production of some hormones. When one kidney fails, the other can enlarge and take on the extra work if it is not diseased or damaged. If both fail, then dialysis or a kidney transplant is necessary.
There are several possible reasons for the recent jump in kidney-failure cases in Canada, reports the article. One is the aging population. As people grow older, they can develop other problems -- like hypertension -- that can contribute to kidney failure. Another likely culprit is the rise of obesity and type 2 diabetes.
Canada isn't alone in this problem, either. According to the article, the United States and probably Europe are experiencing similar increases. Unless people start changing their eating and exercise habits, the trend is likely to continue, says the article.
