Young, healthy adults hit by mysterious kidney disease in Telangana
HYDERABAD: A recent study has found that chronic kidney disease of unknown aetiology (CKDu) is emerging as a major cause of kidney failure in Telangana, including Hyderabad. The condition predominantly affects younger, economically active adults with no history of diabetes or hypertension — the usual causes of chronic kidney disease (CKD).
Study examined 75 patients in Hyderabad hospitals
The study, conducted jointly by nephrologists from Osmania General Hospital (OGH) and Apollo Hospitals, examined 75 patients between March 2021 and November 2022. Published in the Indian Journal of Nephrology in August 2024, it was a single-centre, prospective observational study designed to document clinical profiles and kidney tissue changes in CKDu patients in Telangana.
The mean age of participants was 41.7 years, with men comprising 68%. A majority (77.3%) relied on groundwater for drinking, while 40% had used alternative medicine in the past. Kidney biopsies were performed on 46.6% of the patients.
Over half showed kidney scarring, most used groundwater
Histological analysis revealed that 54% had global glomerulosclerosis—scarring of the kidney’s filtering units. About 31% showed interstitial fibrosis and tubular atrophy, 34.3% had periglomerular fibrosis, and 85.7% displayed interstitial inflammation.
The study also noted that patients with high blood pressure tended to experience faster kidney damage. “The main finding is that patients meeting the CKDu phenotype are not uncommon outside known hotspots. We document such cases in Telangana for the first time,” said Dr Manisha Sahay, Head of Nephrology at OGH.
Many patients still urinating normally despite damage
Among those studied, 69% were non-oliguric (producing normal urine volumes), 28% reported nocturia, and 77.3% experienced fatigue or weakness. Oedema (swelling) was observed in 13.3% of cases.
Most patients were from Hyderabad (42.7%) and Rangareddy district (10%). Hyperuricaemia (high uric acid) was seen in 33%, while 40% were already in stage 5 CKD. Seven patients (9.3%) required dialysis at the time of diagnosis.
