Causes for Renal Disorders in Women?

 Urinary Tract Infection (UTIs) are one of the common cause of hospital visits in women each year and, if not treated early, the germs can travel up to the kidneys and cause a worse type of infection, called pyelonephritis , UTIs and kidney infections are more common in women and the risk increases in pregnancy.

Women have added risks for CKD

Women's health is unique. One thing we know for certain is that women of child-bearing age face different problems than men when it comes to kidney disease. Women with CKD are generally discouraged from using “the pill” as a birth control method due to a greater chance for an increase in blood pressure and blood clots that can make kidney disease worse. Women with CKD may have more problems with pregnancy, causing increased risk to the mother and the child. Even women without CKD may be at risk during both pregnancy and birth because of pre-eclampsia and other problems that increase blood pressure and put a strain on the kidneys. Prenatal care is therefore crucial for all pregnant women for this very reason. Pre-eclampsia and high blood pressure when pregnant can lead to kidney failure and the risk for CKD later in life. For more information visit Bright Kidney Center and book an appointment with Dr. Kavitha Gone, Best female nephrologist in hyderabad.

Most common kidney diseases in women are

Lupus Nephritis (LN) is a kidney damage, caused by an autoimmune disease (systemic lupus erythematosus, aka SLE) —a disorder in which the body’s immune system attacks the body’s own cells and tissues. Kidney disease caused by lupus may get worse over time and lead to kidney failure. SLE is much more common in women than in men and most often strikes during the child-bearing years. Nine out of 10 people who have SLE are women.

Pyelonephritis (kidney infection) is a type of urinary tract infection (UTI) that is most commonly caused by bacteria and starts in the lower urinary tract. If  not treated, it moves upstream to one or both kidneys. Kidney infections may lead to sepsis, which can be life threatening. UTI is more common in women and girls due to their anatomy.

What are the challenges unique to women?

Conception – Chronic kidney disease is considered to be a risk factor for reduced fertility, especially in its advanced stage, when dialysis is required. It  is very rare to see women on dialysis getting pregnant ,but  it is still possible and pregnancy can be continued with intensive treatment (daily or nearly daily) dialysis treatment.

Pregnancy related complications –

Preeclampsia – a complication of pregnancy,  a syndrome in which a defect of the implantation of the placenta affects normal kidneys and  is one of the 3 leading causes of maternal mortality

It causes high blood pressure and kidney damage in the mother. It does not only pose threats to maternal health, but is also associated with intrauterine and perinatal death, preterm delivery and restricted intrauterine growth of baby
Any kind of pre-existing kidney disease in the mother has a negative effect on pregnancy and may pose a threat to the health of mother and the baby.  There is an increase chance of adverse pregnancy outcomes in women with CKD, including preeclampsia, AKI,  CKD progression, spontaneous abortion, stillbirth, malformations, and other long-term issues.

 

Access to healthcare – Socioeconomic and cultural issues may affect women’s wellbeing. Septic abortion after an illegal procedure is the leading cause of Acute kidney failure in places with no access to legal abortion.

The burden of those maternal complications is particularly high for women in rural areas, due to insufficient access to universal and timely prenatal care, improper management of women with preeclampsia.

Access to Renal Replacement Therapies (RRT), including dialysis and transplantation, may be of concern for some women and girls in many societies. While women are more likely to donate a kidney for transplantation, they are less likely to receive one, when in need.

The risk of developing CKD is at least as high in women as in men, and may even be higher. According to some studies, CKD is more likely to develop in women compared with men, with an average 14% prevalence in women and 12% in men .However, the number of women on dialysis is lower than the number of men.

At least three major reasons are recognized so far:

CKD progression is slower in women compared to men, psycho-socioeconomic barriers such as lower disease awareness lead to late or no start of dialysis among women and uneven access to care is a major issue in countries with no universal access to healthcare.

 Kidney transplantation is also unequally spread, mostly due to social, cultural and psychological aspects. Women tend more often to donate kidneys and are less likely to receive them.

There is indeed a clear need to address issues of equitable healthcare access for women where it is currently lacking and increase awareness and education to facilitate women’s access to treatment and better health outcomes.

Kidney Disease & Pregnancy

In successfully transplanted women, fertility can be restored and chances of successful birth increase. However, as complications are observed more often than in the general population, preconception medical counselling should always be sought.

There is a clear need for higher awareness on CKD in pregnancy, to timely identify CKD in pregnancy, and to follow-up women with CKD during and after pregnancy.

In turn, pregnancy-related complications increase the risk of kidney disease:

Preeclampsia, septic abortion (infection of the placenta) and post-partum haemorrhage (major bleeding after giving birth) are leading causes of acute kidney injury (AKI) in young women, and may cause future CKD in survivors

The burden of those maternal complications is particularly high for women in rural areas due to insufficient access to universal and timely prenatal care, to improper management of women with preeclampsia, and to lack of availability of dialysis for severe Acute Kidney failure.

Our Message

There is a clear need for higher awareness, timely diagnosis and proper follow up of CKD in pregnancy. In turn, pregnancy may be also a valuable occasion for early diagnosis of CKD, allowing planning for future treatment.

To Book an Appointment, Visit - Bright Kidney Center.