Kidney Disease Prevention: Nephrocare India Emphasizes Healthy Lifestyle

Kolkata, Jul 16 (PTI) Nephrocare India, a publicly listed kidney care services provider, on Monday stressed the importance of preventive and early renal care to combat the growing kidney diseases in the country.


The company, which plans to expand to 300 clinics across India over the next few years, said a healthy lifestyle is key to addressing this mounting health challenge.


"India adds nearly 2.5 lakh new dialysis patients annually, while over seven crore individuals suffer from various stages of chronic kidney diseases," said Dr Pratim Sengupta, MD & CEO, Nephrocare India Ltd.


The silent progression of the disease, coupled with the country's rising prevalence of diabetes and hypertension, has intensified the challenge, he said.


"India has around 82 million diabetic patients and is on the verge of becoming the Diabetic Capital of the World. About 32 per cent of diabetics are likely to experience renal issues in their lifetime," Sengupta said at Nephrocare's third-anniversary Walkathon event on Sunday.


Hypertension, another leading cause of kidney disease, is worsened by India's excessive salt consumption, which is 2.5 times the international average, Sengupta highlighted.


"Diabetes and hypertension form a fertile ground for renal failure. Additionally, unregulated use of over-the-counter painkillers and antibiotics is significantly worsening the burden of kidney disease in the country," he added.


Amid these challenges, Sengupta emphasised the need for adopting a healthy lifestyle.


"To propagate this message, we organised Walkathon, titled ‘Walk for Health, Walk for Your Kidneys', which aimed to highlight the role of regular exercise and lifestyle changes in preventing kidney diseases," he said.


Sengupta noted the growing need for specialised renal care in India as kidney ailments continue to rise due to changing lifestyles, limited awareness, and increasing painkiller abuse.


Nephrocare India has already committed a capital expenditure of Rs 70 crore for its expansion plans, which will run until March 2026, to establish new clinics across the country.