MANILA, Philippines – Every hour, a Filipino is diagnosed with kidney disease.
During the “Iwas Alat, Iwas Sakit” (Avoid saltiness, avoid disease) Lay Forum at St. Luke’s Medical Center in Quezon City on Wednesday, June 24, doctors warned that sodium – a common staple in Filipino food and households through salt – could fuel an epidemic of kidney disease among people who may not even be aware they are affected.
“Nalaman ko lang na kada oras, may isang Pilipino na nagkakaroon ng sakit sa bato. Hindi [pa] po [for] dialysis, pero sakit sa bato. Imagine niyo po ‘yun… Kada oras po, so parang in 24 hours, 24 people would have kidney disease. Ang pinakamasaklap po dito is pwede natin po siyang ma-prevent,” said Dr. Deborah Ona, senior vice president and medical director at St. Luke’s.
(I just found out that every hour, one Filipino gets diagnosed with kidney disease. Not yet for dialysis, but for kidney disease. Imagine that… Every hour, so it’s like in 24 hours, 24 people would have kidney disease. The worst thing about this is that we can prevent it.)
Kidneys are mainly responsible for filtering natural waste and extra water from the body, as well as helping create red blood cells and balancing blood pressure, among others. They are the primary regulators of sodium.
