Prognosis of Polycystic Kidney Disease

Polycystic Kidney Disease alters our kidneys' inner structure, eventually filling with multiple of cysts. The normal functioning kidney tissue is replaced by cystic cells, so some patients experience a decrease in kidney functioning. Almost all have high blood pressure and protein in urine. Then what's the prognosis of Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD)?

As the cysts expand in the kidneys, patients may appear progressive kidney enlargement and renal insufficiency, in addition to various extrarenal manifestations. Polycystic Kidney Disease can be inherited in autosomal dominant and recessive forms. With progressive enlargement of the kidneys, Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) patients will develop to renal failure by age 50 to 60. This disease accounts for 2.5% of all cases of end-stage renal disease (ESRD).

In the U.S., Polycystic Kidney Disease is the fourth leading cause of kidney failure and approximately 600,000 people are affected by this illness. About 50 percent of people with autosomal dominant form of PKD develop to kidney failure by age 60 and about 60 percent will progress to kidney failure by age 70.

We can see that the prognosis of polycystic kidney disease is not good in general. However, if effective treatment can be adopted in time, we can prevent the progression to kidney failure so as to have a good control of the illness as have a favorable outcome.

The effective treatment should help us achieve these purposes including: 1) expand the blood vessels and improve the blood circulation on the cysts wall; 2) increase the permeability of the cyst wall; 3) shrink the cysts and reduce their pressure to the renal tissue; 4) improve the kidney function and the symptoms will all disappear naturally.