Young people face rising chronic kidney disease and early‑onset cancer worldwide

In Indonesia, the prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) has risen from 2 % in 2013 to 3.8 % in 2018, affecting over 700 000 people. The increase is evident not only among older adults but also in the 15‑44 age groups, with rates of 1.33 % (15‑24), 2.28 % (25‑34) and 3.31 % (35‑44). Health officials link the trend to modern lifestyle factors such as heavy consumption of processed foods, sugary drinks, low physical activity and the resulting obesity and diabetes. A widely shared social‑media case highlighted a 20‑year‑old Indonesian man who developed kidney failure after a prolonged diet of instant noodles.

A separate large‑scale study of more than 160 000 participants in the United Kingdom and the United States found that recent birth cohorts show accelerated biological aging. Compared with those born in the 1950s‑60s, people born after 1990 exhibit biological ages up to 92 % higher on standard deviation scales. This shift is associated with an ~8 % increased risk of early‑onset solid‑tumour cancers, including colorectal, lung, breast and liver cancers. The researchers measured biological age using blood biomarkers such as albumin, creatinine and other organ‑function indicators, and they attribute the changes to combined effects of diet, smoking, pollution, obesity and reduced activity. Both reports underscore the growing burden of chronic disease among younger populations and the role of lifestyle and environmental factors.