Chronic kidney disease in the elderly

Renal physiological aging is characterized by a reduction in the renal glomerular filtration rate. In other words, the kidney does its work of filtration in a slower way, in the same way that the locomotion of an elderly person is also slower, but maintaining the preserved function, that is, reaching the same place.

“ The elderly are the biggest consumers of medication. “

This situation must be distinguished from the actual presence of kidney disease in the elderly, a situation in which the functioning of the kidneys is not adequate and is not related to the physiological decline of age. In situations of illness, and as in any other young or adult patient, kidney malfunction can be so severe that some interventions are needed. One is the medication review by nephrologist in Delhi.

The elderly are the biggest consumers of medication, as they also accumulate more pathologies, and some medications can impair kidney function. Pain medications from the group of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, often taken by the elderly due to their degenerative osteoarticular pathology, can be very harmful and their indications and alternatives reviewed.

“In India, kidney transplantation is rarely performed in patients over 65/70 years.”

The other substantial intervention by the best nephrologist in Delhi is to prepare the patient for renal replacement treatment if and when the kidneys “stop”.

In India, renal transplantation is rarely performed in patients over 65/70 years old, since the risk of intervention and immunosuppression is greater than its benefit. But aging in the elderly is highly heterogeneous: age is of little significance for the decisions to be made, since other more important factors can overlap, such as: associated diseases, functionality, autonomy and independence. Thus, an elderly person may be a candidate for kidney transplant in Delhi, despite not being the norm.

“There are kidney patients who, due to the advanced comorbidities they have, do not benefit, in terms of time or quality of life, from any renal function replacement therapy.”

As for dialysis modalities (hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis), there is no difference between the two, similarly to what happens in young patients. The only point to note is that peritoneal dialysis is a modality that depends on the patient to be performed, unlike hemodialysis that is done by a nurse in a dialysis centre in Delhi. Therefore, if the patient is not able to perform the technique, he may need a caregiver to do it for him, or, if he does not have it, this modality should not be an option.

Finally, there are kidney patients who, due to the advanced comorbidities they present, do not benefit, in terms of time or quality of life, from any renal function replacement therapy. These patients should be offered palliative care. Therefore, patients should be followed up by kidney specialist in Delhi, in order to control the symptoms of kidney disease, promoting quality of life, but without being subjected to more invasive techniques.

The choice of these options should always be made in conjunction with the best kidney specialist in Delhi, who should elucidate the particularities of each elderly person, in order to better tailor the treatment to the person in question.

The author Dr. Vinant Bhargava is one of the top nephrologist in Delhi associated with reputed Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Delhi. He is expert in treatment of kidney disease, diabetes, hypertension, dialysis, kidney transplant, hypothyroidism and other ailments which causes kidney damage. You can consult him for treatment by calling +91-9990610096. Do not avoid symptoms of kidney disease, it may be hazardous. Early diagnosis can save life. Act fast save life.