KIDNEY Health Australia is urging adults to take a simple two-minute online test to determine if they are at risk of developing kidney disease.

Of the two million (or one in ten) Australian adults affected by kidney disease, 1.8 million are completely unaware of it, likely due to the lack of symptoms.

However, an easy online test developed by Kidney Health Australia can be taken anywhere, any time, and includes nine questions that help identify the risk of kidney disease.

The test can determine whether a follow-up appointment with a GP for a kidney health check is recommended.

Kidney Health Australia says that three in four Australians are at risk of kidney disease with the highest contributing factors being diabetes and high blood pressure.

Kidney disease has no symptoms and 90 percent of kidney function can be lost without warning, meaning diagnosis is often too late and little can be done at that late stage to avoid kidney failure.

However, early detection can slow or even stop the progression of this insidious, incurable, and deadly disease.

Dr Karen Dwyer, Nephrologist and Clinical Director at Kidney Health Australia said, “For the first time in 20 years, there are new treatments for kidney disease that can slow down the progression to kidney failure.

“Early detection has never been more important – we have a unique opportunity to change the future for so many Australians.”

Kidney Health Australia’s recently released Deloitte Access Economics report highlighted that, as well as being catastrophic for individuals and families, kidney disease is both a health issue and an economic issue for Australia.

The report outlines the need for investment into timely diagnosis and best practice management of chronic kidney disease.

Chronic kidney disease costs the Australian taxpayer $9.9 billion annually, $5.1 billion of which is attributed to lost productivity (reduced employment, absenteeism and presenteeism), with the total cost to the health care system estimated to be $2.3 billion.

To find out if you are one of the three in four Australians at risk of kidney disease and need to get a kidney health check with your GP, visit www.kidney.org.au to take the test.