A recent modeling analysis conducted by AstraZeneca, named IMPACT CKD, projects that by 2032, up to 16.5% of the population across eight countries will be afflicted by chronic kidney disease (CKD), with an expected increase of up to 59.3% in advanced-stage cases. This study, unveiled at the 2024 ISN World Congress of Nephrology in Buenos Aires, underscores a pressing and escalating global health crisis with far-reaching economic and environmental repercussions. IMPACT CKD is pioneering in its comprehensive examination and prediction of CKD’s multi-dimensional impact over a decade across eight nations, including the United States, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, China, and Australia.
According to the research, nearly 125 million individuals in these countries are anticipated to suffer from advanced CKD by 2032, marking a 25% increase since the model’s inception in 2022. The economic burden stemming from renal replacement therapy, encompassing dialysis and transplant, is forecasted to reach around $186 billion. Additionally, dialysis demands are poised to surge by over 75%, significantly contributing to the healthcare sector’s carbon footprint, equivalent to the emissions of approximately 17.3 million cars.
Ruud Dobber, Executive Vice-President of the BioPharmaceuticals Business Unit at AstraZeneca, underscores the staggering impact CKD could exert on patients, economies, and the environment. However, he emphasizes that this future is not predetermined. AstraZeneca is dedicated to collaborating with global policymakers to mitigate the worldwide repercussions of end-stage CKD and promote early diagnosis and treatment to impede or halt disease progression.
The IMPACT CKD study forms part of AstraZeneca’s Accelerating Change Together (ACT) for CKD initiative, which aims to enhance understanding and outcomes of CKD worldwide. Through the ACT on CKD program, AstraZeneca, in collaboration with the Global Patient Alliance for Kidney Health (GloPAKH), has launched the ‘Make the Change for Kidney Health’ campaign. This initiative seeks to elevate CKD on the global policy agenda, advocating for comprehensive and effective disease management strategies to address this escalating health challenge.
The IMPACT CKD study adopts a sophisticated simulation model to offer a holistic projection of CKD’s extensive impacts across clinical, economic, societal, and environmental dimensions. This groundbreaking analysis provides the first-ever 10-year outlook on CKD’s impact, offering strategic insights aimed at significantly alleviating the disease’s multi-dimensional burden across the studied nations.
ACT on CKD is a program by AstraZeneca aimed at transforming kidney health through partnerships with the goal of reducing the proportion of patients progressing to kidney failure by 20% by 2025. This initiative supports endeavors to raise awareness of CKD’s burden and consequences, expand early detection, optimize treatment, and drive health policy reforms to achieve sustainable change.
In conjunction with these efforts, AstraZeneca continues to contribute to advancing clinical practice in CKD through initiatives such as DISCOVER-CKD, REVEAL-CKD, INSIDE-CKD, PACE-CKD, and IMPACT CKD, generating evidence to inform public health policy planning and improve patient outcomes.
The World Congress of Nephrology (WCN) serves as the premier annual scientific, educational, and networking event of the International Society of Nephrology (ISN), a global professional association dedicated to advancing kidney health worldwide.
AstraZeneca’s Cardiovascular, Renal, and Metabolism (CVRM) division is a key growth driver for the company, focusing on understanding the underlying links between heart, kidneys, liver, and pancreas to develop a portfolio of medicines for organ protection and disease progression. AstraZeneca’s ambition is to improve and save millions of lives by targeting the mechanisms driving CVRM diseases, detecting, diagnosing, and treating patients earlier and more effectively.
AstraZeneca is a global, science-led biopharmaceutical company dedicated to discovering, developing, and commercializing prescription medicines in oncology, rare diseases, and bio-pharmaceuticals, including cardiovascular, renal, and metabolism, as well as respiratory and immunology. With operations in over 100 countries, AstraZeneca’s innovative medicines are utilized by millions of patients worldwide.
For further information, please visit astrazeneca.com and follow the company on social media @AstraZeneca.
