The National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI) has raised concern over the growing number of young adults undergoing dialysis, blaming the alarming trend on lifestyle-related diseases such as diabetes and hypertension.
“We are now seeing a younger population undergoing dialysis,” said Dr. Amor Patrice Socorro Estabillo, NKTI’s Adult Nephrology Consultant, in a press conference held Friday in Quezon City.
Experts at the NKTI point to dietary habits—particularly the high intake of salty and sugary foods—as a major factor behind the surge in chronic kidney conditions among younger Filipinos.
Dr. Anthony Russell Villanueva, head of the NKTI Emergency Department, noted a clear shift in dialysis trends since the 1990s. “In the 1990s through to the early 2000s, the leading cause of end-stage renal disease was glomerulonephritis,” he said, describing it as a kidney disorder unrelated to diet.
But by the early 2000s, diabetes overtook glomerulonephritis as the top cause of kidney failure, followed closely by hypertension. Villanueva explained this coincided with the Philippines’ increasing adoption of a Western-style diet, particularly the rise of fast food consumption.
“That time, nag-shift na ang diet ng Pilipino to a more western diet. Alam natin lumaganap na ang fast food that time,” he said.
While dialysis remains a common treatment option, NKTI emphasizes that kidney transplants offer better long-term outcomes. Villanueva said their institute and other centers nationwide handle 300 to 500 transplants yearly, with NKTI alone accounting for about 60 to 70 percent of these procedures.
As the number of cases climbs, the institute continues to urge Filipinos to adopt healthier diets, avoid processed and high-sodium foods, and be more proactive in managing chronic illnesses.
Proper nutrition, NKTI stresses, plays a key role in preventing kidney disease and slowing its progression—potentially sparing more young adults from the burden of lifelong dialysis.
