This factsheet was first published as part of the joint Statement on ‘Living Kidney Donation - Coronation Street Storyline Causes Concern’ in December 2000 by the National Kidney Federation (NKF), the British Transplantation Society (BTS) and the British Medical Association (BMA).
An estimated 100,000 people in the UK suffer from some form of kidney disease, excluding cystitis and kidney stones.
Glomerulonephritis (sometimes known as Bright’s disease) is one of the commonest forms of kidney disease in young adults and is the single biggest cause of kidney failure. The Glomeruli are the tiny filtering units in the kidneys, which can become inflamed and reduce renal function.
Polycystic kidney disease (PCKD) is another very common form of kidney disease, affecting 1 in 800 people. It is an inherited condition whereby the kidneys become enlarged and covered in cysts.
7,000 people die from renal failure each year in the UK. There is an acute shortage of donor organs.
1 in 5,000 babies are born either with no kidneys at all or two kidneys which are so malformed that they have little or no function.
30% of patients with diabetes will develop renal failure. It is the most common reason for people starting renal replacement therapy. Each year an additional 92 people per million (approx 5,428 people in the UK) will suffer end stage renal failure when the disease affecting them finally causes the kidneys to cease working.
In year 2000 there are approximately 32,000 kidney patients receiving treatment in the UK. Each year the percentage of new patients receiving renal replacement therapy increases by about 5%.
There is no age barrier to the treatment of patients with renal failure. As long as the patient is medically assessed as being able to benefit from treatment, they should be treated.
Experimental transplants began in the early 1900s but the first successful one did not take place until 1954 in Boston, USA.
The renal transplant programme began in the UK in the early 1960's with the introduction of immunosuppressive drugs. During 1999, 1,742 kidney transplant operations were performed nationally (UK and Ireland) although 5,056 people were actively waiting for a suitable organ for transplant.
The National Kidney Federation cannot accept responsibility for information provided. The above is for guidance only. Patients are advised to seek further information from their own doctor.
Page created: 10 April 2001
Last updated: 19 March 2008
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