Stemming the tide of chronic kidney disease: A focus on primary care prevention

Abstract

The prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) among Singapore residents aged 18 to 74 years rose significantly from 8.8% in 2019–2020 to 13.8% in 2021–2022.1,2 Singapore ranks third globally for treated end-stage kidney disease (ESKD), with a median survival of 6 years post-dialysis.3 Diabetic nephropathy was the leading cause of stage 5 CKD, accounting for 64.6% of new dialysis patients in 2022.4 This is particularly concerning given Singapore’s rapidly ageing population and rising lifestyle-related CKD risk factors. Notably, CKD prevalence is higher among those with pre-diabetes (21.8%), diabetes mellitus (DM) (42.3%) and hypertension (24.2%) compared to those without diabetes (10%).