Baxter Encourages Canadians to Get Screened for Kidney Disease, to Understand the Risks and Therapy Options Available

Growing Rates of Chronic Kidney Disease Highlight Need for Increased Early Detection and Awareness of Treatment Options

MISSISSAUGA, ON, March 13, 2013 /CNW/ - Along with the global kidney disease community, Baxter Corporation, a leader in dialysis treatment for more than 50 years, is urging Canadians to learn about the symptoms and treatment options for chronic kidney disease on World Kidney Day, March 14.  Early detection can lead to treatment options that help to maintain the health of your kidneys and reduce the risk of developing irreversible kidney failure.

The incidence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is growing, fuelled largely by diseases associated with an aging population, hypertension and increasing rates of diabetes.  Worldwide, more than 353 million people (approximately 5%) are living with chronic kidney disease^1,2, and 1.4 million people require renal replacement therapy³. Studies show that 4 out of 5 people with advanced CKD (i.e. loss of over 50% of kidney function) do not know they have the disease⁴. High-blood pressure and diabetes are two main risk factors for CKD⁵, both of which are increasingly prevalent; with 1 in 3 adults worldwide having high blood pressure and 1 in 10 adults with diabetes⁶. It is estimated that approximately 2.6 million Canadians have kidney disease or are at risk⁷.

"As the rate of CKD continues to grow in Canada with increasing numbers of patients requiring renal replacement, the need for early patient education about kidney disease and treatment options, including home-based treatments, has become critical," says Mike Oliver, General Manager, Baxter Corporation.

Baxter is a proud supporter of World Kidney Day, a global health campaign of The International Society of Nephrology and the International Federation of Kidney Foundation that raises awareness about the importance of our kidneys and reducing the frequency and impact of kidney disease and its associated health problems. To help broaden awareness among Canadians, Baxter is also supporting a special insert on kidney disease developed by The Kidney Foundation of Canada and the Canadian Society of Nephrology, appearing in The Globe and Mail and La Presse on March 14 for World Kidney Day.

"People with diabetes or hypertension, over the age of 60 or with a family history of kidney disease are at higher risk of progressing to chronic kidney disease. These patients should undergo screening and talk to their doctor about this disease regardless of whether they display symptoms or not," says Dr. Damien Belisle, nephrologist at CSSS de Chicoutimi.  "Early detection of chronic kidney disease, by a simple blood and urine test, can dramatically affect how long you can preserve kidney function, what treatment options you have and the quality of life you will experience while living with the disease."

The human kidney works to remove waste and fluids from the body. As kidney disease progresses, the kidneys work less and less effectively.  If detected early, lifestyle changes and selected medications can preserve kidney function for a longer period of time.  If the disease progresses, in order to survive, people living with kidney disease must depend on renal replacement therapies to make up for lost kidney function, usually in the form of dialysis or transplantation.  People may receive dialysis treatment at home (peritoneal or home hemodialysis), or in a dialysis center or hospital (in-center hemodialysis).

According to recent studies, chronic kidney disease patients who received early guidance from their nephrologist about their condition and dialysis treatment had a significantly lower risk of death within the first year of treatment^8,9.  Studies have demonstrated that people living with kidney disease who are informed about treatment options and are given a choice more often choose a home therapy which presents opportunities for greater efficiencies and cost savings in the delivery of Canadian healthcare, provides better early survival¹⁰, and can also provide a strong bridge to transplant for patients awaiting a replacement kidney^11,12.

"We are committed to raising awareness for kidney disease and delivering the highest quality outcomes, by expanding the possibilities in dialysis, because patients deserve better," continues Oliver.  "We continue to provide innovative, therapeutic firsts and to advocate for physicians and patients, to help remove the barriers that stand in the way of achieving optimal care."

Understand the risks of kidney disease and the therapy options.  Go to www.WorldKidneyDay.org to learn more.

About Baxter Renal Therapies
Baxter aims to offer patients the right therapy, at the right time, in the right setting, and believes in making the optimal therapeutic modality possible for more patients. As a global leader in renal replacement therapies, Baxter is committed to providing an innovative portfolio of products to deliver the highest quality outcomes.

More than 50 years ago, Baxter pioneered lifesaving hemodialysis (HD) treatment for patients with end-stage kidney disease by introducing the first commercially built artificial kidney. Decades later, Baxter led the development of peritoneal dialysis (PD), a home-based alternative to the clinic-based HD treatment.  Today, Baxter remains a leading manufacturer of products for PD, providing PD solutions, devices, related supplies and services to help patients perform dialysis treatment.  Baxter also distributes products for hemodialysis, a therapy that generally takes place in a hospital or clinic.

Baxter is also one of the largest industry supporters of dialysis research worldwide to stimulate scientific advancement, general knowledge in nephrology and innovation in dialysis care for patients.  Most recently, Baxter invested in the PDOPPS and DOPPS research initiatives, which are designed to identify regional, national and facility-based practice patterns in the care of dialysis patients.  This can contribute to enhanced patient survival, technique survival and quality of life.

About Baxter
As the Canadian subsidiary of Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX), Baxter Corporation manufactures and markets products that save and sustain the lives of people living with hemophilia, immune disorders, infectious diseases, kidney disease, trauma, and other chronic and acute medical conditions. As a global, diversified healthcare company, Baxter applies a unique combination of expertise in medical devices, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology to create products that advance patient care worldwide.  More information:  www.baxter.ca.

____________________________
¹   Kidney Alliance, "Awareness of Kidney Disease is Low Despite it Affecting 500 million people worldwide" report, http://www.kidneyalliance.org/pdfs/Awareness%20of%20Kidney%20Disease%20Low%20Despite%20Affecting%20500%20million%20people%20worldwide.pdf
²   U.S. Census Bureau World PopClock Projection, "U.S. Census Bureau - World POPClock Projection". http://www.census.gov/population/popclockworld.html
³   White, S, et. all, "How can we achieve global equity in provision of renal replacement therapy?" Bulletin of World Health Organization.  http://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/86/3/07-041715/en/#
⁴   Kidney Alliance, "Awareness of Kidney Disease is Low Despite it Affecting 500 million people worldwide" report, http://www.kidneyalliance.org/pdfs/Awareness%20of%20Kidney%20Disease%20Low%20Despite%20Affecting%20500%20million%20people%20worldwide.pdf
⁵   World Kidney Day, http://www.worldkidneyday.org/page/prevalence-of-disease
⁶   World Health Organization, World Health Statistics 2012, http://www.who.int/gho/publications/world_health_statistics/2012/en/index.html
⁷   Kidney Foundation of Canada, FACING THE FACTS, http://www.kidney.ca/document.doc?id=1376
⁸   Bradbury B., et.al., "Predictors of Early Mortality among Incident US Hemodialysis Patients in the Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study (DOPPS)," Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, no. 2 (2007), 89-99.
⁹   Hasegawa T., et. al., "Greater First-Year Survival on Hemodialysis in Facilities in Which Patients Are Provided Earlier and More Frequent Pre-nephrology Visits," Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, no. 4 (2009), 595-602.
¹⁰ Yeates K, Zhu N, Vonesh E, Trpeski L, Blake P, Fenton S. Hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis are associated with similar outcomes for end-stage renal disease treatment in Canada. Nephrol Dial Transplant. 2012:advance access.
¹¹   Schwenger V, Dohler B, Morath C, Zeier M, Opelz G. The role of pretransplant dialysis modality on renal allograft outcome. Nephrol Dial Transplant. 2011;26:3761-3766.
¹²   Molnar MZ, Mehrotra R, Duong U, et al. Dialysis modality and outcomes in kidney transplant recipients. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol. 2012;7:332-341.

SOURCE: Baxter Corporation

Media Contacts:
Heather MacDonnell
[phone]
[email protected]