Tobacco: a major risk factor for chronic kidney disease, the management of which needs to be improved in France
April 30, 2024
Par: National Committee Against Smoking
Dernière mise à jour: April 30, 2024
Temps de lecture: 3 minutes
A French study published in the Journal of Nephrology[1] investigated the epidemiology of smoking in patients with renal failure requiring dialysis treatment in France and assessed the involvement of nephrologists in supporting patients to quit smoking.
To support smoking cessation, a questionnaire on this practice was sent to all members of the French Society of Nephrology, Dialysis and Transplantation (SFNDT).
Epidemiology of tobacco in dialysis patients
In 2020, of the 49,165 patients listed in the French REIN registry, smokers represented nearly 12 % of the cohort, former smokers 25%, non-smokers 50 % and data was missing for 14% of them. These figures are generally stable between 2010 and 2020. Former smokers more frequently have a history of cancer and have a higher rate of cardiovascular comorbidities (3 and more).
These figures observed among dialysis patients, who have an average age in the 65-75 age group, therefore appear similar to the smoking rates observed in their age category in the general population.
Tobacco, a major risk factor for kidney disease
Smoking is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, such as high blood pressure, which are themselves well known to cause chronic kidney disease. However, smoking is also identified as an independent risk factor for the onset and progression of chronic kidney disease.
The involvement of nephrologists in smoking cessation
This publication also reports the first survey concerning the practice of smoking cessation among nephrologists practicing in France.
Nephrologists find themselves at the crossroads of the care of patients with chronic kidney disease with multiple comorbidities and actively participate in the coordination of care.
The nephrology community seems to be convinced of the benefits of smoking cessation in patients with kidney disease, and many nephrologists seem to want to become more involved in the smoking cessation process, since 72.8% of them offered smoking cessation assistance to their patients. A majority of them (81.6% of them) indicated that they were in need of training and did not have enough tools to support their patients' smoking cessation in their daily practice.
Keywords: Kidney, kidney disease, withdrawal, nephrologists, smokingXE
[1] Haussaire D, Couchoud C, Elharrar X, Rostoker G. Epidemiology of tobacco use in dialysis patients in France and survey of nephrologists' involvement in counseling on tobacco discontinuation. J Nephrol. 2024 Jan 23. doi: 10.1007/s40620-023-01842-2. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 38253969. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40620-023-01842-2 National Committee Against Smoking |
