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The Philippines\u00a0could exhaust\u00a0its healthcare resources if the\u00a0rapid\u00a0rise\u00a0in\u00a0chronic kidney disease (CKD) cases is left unchecked, a number one nephrologist\u00a0has\u00a0warned.<\/span><\/p>\n Speaking on the\u00a0Hisgutan\u00a0Ta media forum in Cebu, Dr. Juliet\u00a0Chua\u00a0Chong-Noel said the growing burden of kidney disease is already straining the system, particularly through the\u00a0high cost\u00a0of dialysis.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIf we don\u2019t do anything about it, we\u2019re going to deplete our resources,\u201d\u00a0said\u00a0Dr.\u00a0Noel, who’s\u00a0the treasurer\u00a0of the Philippine Society of Nephrology.<\/span><\/p>\n In the primary five months of 2025 alone, the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) paid P161 million for hemodialysis procedures on the National Kidney and Transplant Institute. In 2024, hemodialysis was the state insurer\u2019s top paid medical procedure within the country.<\/span><\/p>\n Dr.\u00a0Noel\u2019s\u00a0warning comes as CKD cases proceed to climb nationwide. As early as 2021, data showed that greater than seven million Filipinos were living with the disease, with no less than one latest case recorded every hour.<\/span><\/p>\n Beyond dialysis, government spending has also expanded to cover kidney transplantation, with PhilHealth profit packages reaching over P2 million. And due to the continuous increase in patients, Para\u00f1aque Rep. Brian Yamsuan recently filed a bill searching for to expand CKD coverage even further.<\/span><\/p>\n Dr.\u00a0Noel stressed that treatment alone just isn’t sustainable.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhat we would like is prevention.\u00a0There ought to be more people going to doctors before they even get sick. We must be proactive in getting check-ups,\u201d she said.<\/span><\/p>\n CKD develops when kidneys are damaged over time, impairing their ability to filter waste and excess fluids. The disease is especially dangerous since it often shows no symptoms in its\u00a0early stages.<\/span><\/p>\n Who’re most in danger<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n Dr.\u00a0Noel\u00a0identified\u00a0diabetes\u00a0and\u00a0hypertension\u00a0because the leading causes\u00a0of CKD worldwide. She\u00a0said that the moment an individual is diagnosed with diabetes, they need to already\u00a0be having\u00a0their kidneys checked.\u00a0\u00a0Other risk aspects include obesity, smoking, a family history of kidney disease, heart disease, older age, and being born small for gestational age.<\/span><\/p>\n Lifestyle aspects further worsen the situation. Poor\u00a0weight loss plan\u00a0and lack of physical activity are contributing to the increasing variety of cases \u2014 including amongst younger Filipinos.<\/span><\/p>\n Latest\u00a0data from the\u00a0Philippine Renal Disease Registry\u00a0show that adults aged 20 to 59 now make up majority of CKD patients\u00a0(57%), overtaking senior residents\u00a0(41%).<\/span><\/p>\n Hidden risk of supplements<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n Dr.\u00a0Noel also warned against the widespread and sometimes uncritical use of food supplements, which she said may pose hidden dangers to kidney health.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe mind-set is that if it\u2019s a complement, it\u2019s protected and has no unwanted effects. That just isn’t true,\u201d she said. Unlike prescription medicines, supplements usually are not subjected to the identical level of rigorous testing and regulatory scrutiny. Many usually are not required to prove their safety or effectiveness through clinical studies.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cA drug goes through years of research. Every component is measured. But supplements don\u2019t undergo the identical process because they don\u2019t claim to cure anything,\u201d Noel explained.<\/span><\/p>\n She noted that while some natural ingredients like\u00a0ampalaya\u00a0could have health advantages, their effects can change when concentrated into pill form.\u00a0\u201cOnce you extract it right into a pill, we\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0know anymore. An excessive amount of could cause toxicity;\u00a0too little may not have any effect in any respect.\u201d\u00a0She added that potential impurities introduced during manufacturing may additionally harm the kidneys and liver.<\/span><\/p>\n Dr.\u00a0Noel\u00a0said\u00a0the recognition of supplements has been fueled by social media influencers, often without scientific backing.\u00a0\u201cIn science, testimony is the bottom type of proof. But\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0difficult when\u00a0we\u2019re\u00a0up against influencers who’re more popular than us doctors.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n She reminded the general public to follow the eight golden rules of kidney care:<\/span><\/p>\n With CKD cases continuing to rise and lots of patients\u00a0remaining\u00a0undiagnosed until\u00a0they reach\u00a0advanced stages,\u00a0Dr.\u00a0Noel emphasized that prevention \u2014 through early screening, healthier lifestyles, and informed medical decisions \u2014\u00a0stays\u00a0the country\u2019s best defense.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Dr. Juliet\u00a0Chua\u00a0Chong-Noel Expert urges\u00a0early screening, lifestyle changes, vigilance toward supplements The Philippines\u00a0could exhaust\u00a0its healthcare resources if the\u00a0rapid\u00a0rise\u00a0in\u00a0chronic kidney disease (CKD) cases is left unchecked, a number one nephrologist\u00a0has\u00a0warned. Speaking on the\u00a0Hisgutan\u00a0Ta media forum in Cebu, Dr. Juliet\u00a0Chua\u00a0Chong-Noel said the growing burden of kidney disease is already straining the system, particularly through the\u00a0high cost\u00a0of dialysis. \u201cIf […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":360345,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[13246,4045,4816,1035,26030,6653,1344,8852],"class_list":["post-360344","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business","tag-cases","tag-disease","tag-drain","tag-health","tag-kidney","tag-resources","tag-rising","tag-threaten"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n