A FATHER of two from Malvern has called for people to check for warning signs in their urine after being diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease (PKD).
Tony Knight, a 59-year-old engineer and avid cyclist, was shocked to discover he had the condition after noticing blood in his urine six years ago.
The inherited condition causes large cysts to grow on the kidneys, gradually impairing their function.
While Tony remains active, recent tests show his kidney function is declining, and he may eventually need dialysis or a transplant to stay alive.
Now, he’s backing Kidney Research UK’s Take a wee look campaign, which warns that blood or frothy urine could be an early sign of kidney disease.
With over 80 per cent of people unaware of what their kidneys do, the organisation is urging the public to check their urine and take its online kidney health check.
“I had a couple of instances of passing blood in my urine,” he said.
“The doctors referred me to urology where I had a camera up the waterworks and an ultrasound scan which identified the polycystic kidney disease.”
“Prior to that I wouldn’t have known, I would have been totally oblivious to my kidneys growing. Based on my experience I would say don’t be embarrassed to ‘take a wee look’ down your loo.”
PKD is an inherited condition, which can be passed between generations within families. Tony’s dad and sister have now also been diagnosed with the disease.
Tony suggested they should be tested, after his sister had a brain aneurysm, which are more common in some PKD patients. Tony added: “At least they know now, so they’re better prepared, whereas they had no clue before.”
Another sign to look out for includes weight gain or weight stagnation. Although Tony trains a lot he began to notice he couldn’t lose weight as he normally would.
This is down to his enlarged kidneys which are twice the normal size and present as a significant bulge in his upper abdomen.
Tony added: “For the level of fitness I’ve got, I shouldn’t be as big as I am, that’s down to the PKD. There is no cure, so this a ticking time bomb for me, but hopefully the medication will help.”
Simon Davies, Emeritus Professor of Nephrology at Keele University and trustee of Kidney Research UK explained that wee should be a straw like colour or paler. If it is darker, pink, red or frothy, it could be a sign that the filters in the kidney are damaged, leaking blood or protein. And there are other factors which put people at greater risk of kidney disease, including diabetes, high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease.
Simon added: “Early diagnosis can help save lives and urine can hold the clues. If you are concerned, take the kidney health check on Kidney Research UK’s website.”
Tony hasn’t let his diagnosis hold him back, having cycled from Land’s End to John O’Groats three times since 2021, as well as cycling the length of Portugal in five days.
He said: “I’m still riding the bike hard, I might cycle end to end in Ireland this year. But for now, my message to everyone is to take a good look at your wee, it might save your life.”
Visit www.takeaweelook.org for more information.
