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Kidney Disease Often Has No Warning Signs — Here's What to Know
By the time most people feel sick from kidney disease, up to 90% of kidney function may already be lost — and doctors say regular screening is the only reliable way to catch it early.
200 litresBlood filtered by kidneys every single day
The facts
- 1Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is called a 'silent' illness because the kidneys can keep working at reduced capacity for years with no pain, swelling, or obvious symptoms — making it easy to miss.
- 2The kidneys filter about 200 litres of blood every day, removing waste and extra water as urine; when they slowly lose this ability, the body does not always send clear distress signals.
- 3According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), roughly 17 in every 100 Indians show signs of CKD, and diabetes and high blood pressure are the two leading causes in India.
- 4A simple urine test for protein (called an ACR test) and a blood test for creatinine can detect kidney damage years before symptoms appear, giving doctors time to slow the disease down.
- 5People with diabetes, high blood pressure, or a family history of kidney problems are in a higher-risk group and benefit most from annual screening, since catching CKD early can delay or even prevent kidney failure.
Why it matters
India has one of the world's largest populations of people with diabetes — a primary CKD trigger. Dialysis and kidney transplants cost ₹5–15 lakh or more, making prevention and early detection far cheaper and less disruptive than treatment. Families that screen regularly spend less on healthcare in the long run.
Sources
- Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)
- Livemint / medical specialists cited in reporting
