7 Surprising Things You Didn't Know About Kidney Disease

By Jane Miller, Clinical Manager, Satellite Healthcare

Twenty-six million Americans suffer from Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), and millions more are at risk. Awareness, however, is always key to prevention. Some surprising facts you may not have known…but should:

Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney disease. Twenty-nine million Americans have diabetes, and one in four are undiagnosed. An additional 86 million adults have pre-diabetes. More than 35 percent of all people age 20 or older with diabetes have kidney disease.

The rate of kidney failure is higher among certain populations. African Americans and Hispanics are at significantly higher risk for kidney failure than Caucasians.

Most Americans currently on the waiting list for a lifesaving organ transplant need a kidney. There are currently 123,000 Americans on the waiting list for organ transplants, and over 80 percent are waiting for kidneys. Yet fewer than 17,000 people receive a kidney each year, and every day 12 people waiting for a kidney die.

Kidney disease is very expensive. The average cost for treating a kidney disease patient is about $23,000 a year – or a total of $22.1 billion in Medicare spending a year!

Kidney disease is the 9th leading cause of death in the United States. It kills more people than prostate or breast cancer.

1 in 11 Americans will have a kidney stone during his or her lifetime – nearly double the rate 15 years ago. Kidney stones consist of insoluble calcium. They’re very painful, and they can lead to CKD. Kidney stones are often associated with obesity and a poor diet, and they’re more common in the Asian and Caucasian populations than they are among African Americans or Native Americans.

Certain foods support healthy kidneys. Research shows that cauliflower, cranberry juice, apples, cabbages, blueberries and red peppers provide kidney-health benefits.

>>>For more kidney facts visit KidneysDoThat.org.<<<

Satellite Healthcare is a national not-for-profit provider of kidney dialysis services with locations including in Milpitas, Mountain View, Sunnyvale, San Jose, Cupertino, Emeryville, Los Gatos, Vallejo and San Leandro.

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