Ahead of World Kidney Day on March 12, Emirati nephrologist highlights the role of early diagnostics and individualized risk assessment in preventing chronic kidney disease
Chronic kidney disease often develops silently, meaning people with diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, cardiovascular disease, or a family history of kidney disease should not wait for symptoms before checking their kidney health, says an Emirati nephrologist at Dubai-based OMICS Precision Health, a translational geroscience and healthspan medicine clinic.
Speaking ahead of World Kidney Day on March 12, Dr. Hassa Obaid Khalifa Al-Zaabi said earlier diagnosis, improved management of chronic conditions, and more individualized approaches to protecting kidney health are giving doctors new opportunities to slow or prevent kidney damage before it becomes irreversible.
Globally, chronic kidney disease affects around one in 10 people, while the International Society of Nephrology estimates that more than 850 million people are living with some form of kidney disease worldwide. In the UAE and wider Gulf region, the burden is closely linked to high rates of diabetes and hypertension, two of the leading causes of chronic kidney disease.
“Kidney disease is often missed in its early stages because many people feel well until significant damage has already occurred,” said Dr. Al-Zaabi. “That is why screening matters, particularly for people with common chronic diseases or a family history of kidney disease. Simple blood and urine tests can often detect problems early, when there is still time to intervene.”
Dr. Al-Zaabi advised that people at risk should be assessed using both a blood test to estimate kidney function and a urine test to check for albumin, a protein that can be an early sign of kidney damage.
Diabetes and high blood pressure remain the most common drivers of chronic kidney disease globally. However, Dr. Al-Zaabi said there is growing recognition that kidney health is closely linked to broader metabolic and inflammatory processes in the body.
“As physicians, we increasingly look at kidney health within the wider context of cardiometabolic and systemic health,” she said. “If a patient has insulin resistance, chronic inflammation, obesity, or autoimmune disease, these factors can place additional stress on the kidneys over time.”
At clinics focused on preventive and precision medicine, this broader view is shaping how risk is assessed and managed. “At OMICS Precision Health, we take a personalized approach to prevention,” Dr. Al-Zaabi explained. “Rather than waiting for kidney function to decline, we assess each patient’s metabolic profile, inflammatory markers, family history, and other risk factors to understand what may be placing pressure on their kidneys and other organs.”
Depending on the patient’s risk profile, preventive care may also include targeted metabolic optimization, anti-inflammatory strategies, closer monitoring of early kidney markers, and earlier lifestyle or medical interventions where needed. Dr. Al-Zaabi said this type of individualized assessment can help identify patients who may benefit from earlier lifestyle intervention, closer monitoring, or targeted treatment of underlying conditions.
“Protecting kidney health is not only about treating kidney disease itself,” she said. “It is also about addressing the root drivers, whether that is blood pressure, glucose control, inflammation, or autoimmune activity.”
Personalized Treatment Strategies
Advances in medicine are also expanding treatment options for some patients. In people with type 2 diabetes and kidney disease, newer classes of medication including sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists have shown benefits in helping protect kidney and cardiovascular health when prescribed appropriately.
In other cases, kidney damage may be linked to autoimmune disease, requiring more specialized diagnostic investigation and treatment. In selected severe immune-mediated kidney conditions, therapeutic plasma exchange may be used as part of specialist care to remove harmful circulating antibodies.
“Kidney disease can develop for different reasons in different patients, which is why an individualized approach is important,” said Dr. Al-Zaabi. “By identifying risk factors earlier and tailoring prevention strategies accordingly, we have a better chance of slowing or preventing long-term damage.”
Alongside screening, lifestyle measures remain a cornerstone of kidney health. Dr. Al-Zaabi advises people to stay physically active, avoid smoking, limit excess salt, and reduce ultra-processed foods. She also cautioned against frequent or unsupervised use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, including ibuprofen and diclofenac, which can harm the kidneys when used excessively.
“Many people only think about kidney disease once it becomes severe,” she concludes. “But prevention starts much earlier. If you know you have risk factors, checking your kidney health should be part of routine preventive care.”
