What the public know about their kidneys and what they do
In this article, we will describe what the public know about their kidneys and what they do. Their knowledge is patchy at best.
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80% of the UK public do not know where the kidneys are
– in addition, 80% don’t know the kidneys filter blood -
Only 50% know their kidneys make urine
– and this is less likely if you are older - 78% think that medication does not damage the kidneys. It does, quite often. The kidneys are very sensitive organs
- 68% think too much alcohol damages kidneys. It does not. This is more likely to be believed by younger or older people
Note. Even though kidney function is not affected by alcohol, although other organs can be affected and over-consumption is bad for health generally - 67% believe (incorrectly) a kidney transplant is a cure for CKD. It is not. In fact deceased donor kidney transplants last on average 10-15 years. Nonetheless 49% think kidney transplants last a lifetime
- 53% have a good understanding that dehydration can have a serious effect on your kidneys. People in higher social classes are almost twice as likely to know this (68%) than those from lower social classes (35%)
- 35% believe a physical blow endangers the kidneys. It rarely does
- 25% know the kidneys are involved in control of the body’s chemical balance. They are crucial to chemical balance
- 25% believe the kidneys are organs we can live without. This is not true. They are essential to life, as they are the body’s dustmen
- Only 1% think smoking endangers the kidneys. It does damage them. It is the main risk factor for renovascular disease (RVD), which is one the commonest causes of ESRF (i.e. dialysis or a kidney transplant) in older people.
Summary
We have described what the public know about their kidneys and what they do. As a generalisation, most people do not have a good understanding of what their kidneys do, how to keep them healthy. We hope it this information has been useful.
Other resources
Think kidneys report (2015)
Kidney research UK survey in 2022
This article is based on these two reports.
Last Reviewed on 4 March 2024