Abuja: A medical doctor at a Dei-Dei hospital in Abuja, Dr Ummusalma Faruk, has urged Nigerians to pay closer attention to their lifestyle and dietary habits to general health, warning that several preventable risk factors could increase the risk of kidney disease and eventual kidney failure. She made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Thursday.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Faruk identified conditions such as uncontrolled hypertension and diabetes, unhealthy diet, obesity, physical inactivity, and inappropriate use of medications as factors that could place prolonged strain on the kidneys. She emphasized the necessity for regular health checks and early detection, noting that kidney disease could develop without obvious symptoms in its early stages.
Faruk advised Nigerians to adopt healthier lifestyles, reduce excessive salt intake, maintain a healthy body weight, exercise regularly, and avoid self-medication, particularly the indiscriminate use of medications that could harm the kidneys. She also highlighted the importance of properly controlling hypertension and diabetes, as prolonged poor control could increase the risk of kidney damage.
She further emphasized that prevention and early intervention remain critical to reducing the number of Nigerians who eventually require dialysis or kidney transplantation. NAN reports that there is rising concern over the burden of kidney disease in Nigeria and the challenges patients face in accessing and sustaining treatment.