According to the 2025 results revealed on the occasion of National Kidney Day, 83% of patients with kidney damage were unaware of their situation before the test. A figure that sheds light on the major challenge: detecting an invisible illness earlier.
A silent illness that escapes notice
Everything seems to be fine. No pain, no obvious signs. And yet, the kidney can already be affected. This is the particularity – and the danger – of chronic kidney disease. It sets in gradually, quietly, sometimes for years. In France, nearly one in ten people are affected, or around 6 million people. Twice as much as diabetes. But what is striking are these diagnoses which never arrive… or too late.
In 2025, during a national campaign led by Biogroup, more than 20,000 patients benefited from creatinine screening. Among them, 1,470 were alerted to a kidney abnormality. And above all, 83% of them were completely unaware of their situation before this test.
Behind these figures, life trajectories which sometimes change without warning.
The silent nature of the disease largely explains this situation. The kidneys do not give early warning. They deteriorate painlessly, without noticeable symptoms.
“The kidney doesn’t hurt. It does not give early warning. However, a simple blood test allows you to estimate kidney function and discuss it with your doctor. These are simple, but decisive gestures.”recalls Dr Nicolas Roquigny, medical biologist at Biogroup.
A simple, almost confusing observation: a frequent, serious… but invisible illness.
Screen so as not to suffer: simple gestures still too little integrated
Faced with this clinical discretion, screening becomes a central tool. And yet, it remains insufficiently anchored in habits. A simple blood test is enough to assess kidney function. It can be carried out during a routine check-up, sometimes even without a direct link to suspected kidney disease.
It is often in these circumstances that anomalies are discovered.
“We see thousands of patients every day. This proximity gives us a responsibility: that of measuring, interpreting and alerting if necessary. Medical biology is a discreet but essential link in the care pathway.”underlines Dr Nicolas Roquigny.
However, certain profiles are particularly at risk: people with diabetes or hypertension. But even in them, renal monitoring is not always systematic.
Why this delay? Because prevention is still struggling to establish itself. Because the absence of symptoms is wrongly reassuring. Because, in daily medical life as in the lives of patients, urgency often takes precedence over anticipation.
And yet, detecting early changes everything.
A major public health issue, between delay in diagnosis and cumbersome treatment
When the disease is identified late, the consequences can be serious. Nearly 30% of patients who start dialysis discover their disease at that time. A shock.
Dialysis, a renal replacement treatment, imposes a restrictive rhythm, regular sessions, and a profoundly changed life organization. It engages the patient in a long, demanding, often trying journey.
Beyond the human impact, the weight is also collective. Kidney disease represents around 2.5% of Health Insurance expenses for a much smaller proportion of patients.
An imbalance that questions our health system.
“France excels in the treatment of advanced pathologies. But we still need to progress in the culture of prevention. Detecting earlier means giving medical time”insists Dr Nicolas Roquigny.
Because this time is precious. It makes it possible to adapt treatments, slow down the progression of the disease, and sometimes avoid the need for dialysis.
In this chain of care, medical biologists occupy a key place. Far beyond simple analysis.
“Our job does not stop at producing a figure. We interpret the results, alert us if necessary and refer us to the treating physician. Medical biology is a key player in the care pathway“, he adds.
Making the invisible visible: a collective challenge
Chronic kidney disease confronts us with a particular form of medical blind spot. A common, serious pathology, but long imperceptible. Making it visible requires changing your outlook. To integrate screening into routines. Consider that the absence of symptoms is not a guarantee.
But also, more broadly, to rehabilitate prevention as a reflex.
Because behind each diagnosis made earlier, there is a possibility: slowing down the disease, preserving quality of life, avoiding heavy treatments. And sometimes, simply, offer time. Time to understand. Time to act. Time to live differently with the illness.