Description: NEW DELHI: Dr. D. S. Rana, chairman of the Department of Nephrology at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital here, who took over as the new president of the Indian Society of Nephrology (ISN) here on Saturday, said diabetes and hypertension are two major causes for kidney failure and optimum treatment of these two diseases can reduce the incidence of end-stage kidney failure.

Speaking at the 38th annual conference of ISN after taking over as its president, Dr. Rana said the incidence of kidney disease was very high in India.

Almost 1.5 lakh new patients of end-stage kidney failure, who require dialysis and kidney transplantation, get added to the pre-existing “pool” every year.

The ISN felicitated Dr. V. N. Acharya, an eminent nephrologist from Mumbai, with a life-time achievement award.

At least 700 kidney specialists, including national and international experts, took part in the conference which focused on “incidence, prevention and efficient management of cardiovascular complication of chronic kidney diseases”.

The experts pointed out that chronic kidney disease was a major cardiovascular risk factor.

They said many patients of chronic kidney diseases die of heart diseases before they even reach a stage of end-stage kidney failure.

It was advisable, therefore, for the patients of kidney failure to take optimal treatment for prevention of heart diseases, they concluded.