St. Peter's Hospital: "Beware of excessive water and fruit intake in a heat wave"

 With record heat continuing, St. Peter's Hospital has stressed the importance of summer kidney health management for patients with chronic kidney disease. Drinking large amounts of water or eating too much summer fruit to prevent dehydration can in fact place a burden on kidney function, the hospital explained, so management tailored to each individual's condition is needed.

With chronic kidney disease highly prevalent in Korea, St. Peter's Hospital noted on the 16th that heatwaves can raise the risk of declining kidney function and set out daily rules for the summer.

According to the Korea National Institute of Health and the Korean Society of Nephrology, Korean patients with chronic kidney disease have about a 1.66 times higher risk of declining kidney function than patients in the US CRIC cohort. One in every seven or eight people in Korea has chronic kidney disease, and related annual treatment costs exceeded KRW 2.83 trillion as of 2024.

Chronic kidney disease is a condition in which kidney function declines continuously for three months or more or kidney damage is confirmed. There are almost no noticeable symptoms in the early stages, so it is often found through urine or imaging tests, and as it progresses the risk of cardiovascular complications and end-stage renal disease increases.

Lee Ji-yeon, Chief of Nephrology at St. Peter's Hospital, said, "In patients with chronic kidney disease, seasonal risk factors act together, so the risk of declining kidney function in summer can increase further."

The hospital explained that dehydration and electrolyte imbalance caused by extreme heat in particular can lead to worsening kidney function. Patients taking diuretics may face an even greater risk of dehydration, and the hospital also cited meta-analysis results showing that in high-temperature environments the risk of kidney disease and of related hospital admissions and emergency room visits increased by about 30%.

It also stressed the need for care with summer eating habits. Fruits high in potassium such as Korean melon, watermelon and bananas can raise the risk of hyperkalemia, so the amount eaten should be controlled, and excessive consumption of juice and sports drinks is also best avoided, the hospital advised. It recommended limiting salt intake above 5 g a day as well as caffeinated and alcoholic drinks.

Fluid intake, too, has to take individual kidney function into account, the hospital explained. Rather than drinking a large amount of water at once to quench thirst, it is recommended to drink an appropriate amount in several servings. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency's guidance for vulnerable groups in heat waves also advises patients with chronic kidney disease to maintain an appropriate individual fluid intake.

Chief Lee Ji-yeon said, "Patients with chronic kidney disease must be more careful than anyone about dehydration and declining kidney function in summer," adding, "Rather than simply drinking a lot of water or taking restorative foods, it is important to consult the medical team and manage the condition in line with one's own kidney function and disease status."

Source: MediPana News (https://www.medipana.com)