NKFMDDE Reminds Everyone that March is National Kidney Month

LUTHERVILLE, Md. (Mar. 2, 2020) – The National Kidney Foundation Serving Maryland and Delaware (NKFMDDE) wants everyone to take just a minute this March to learn about the risks of kidney disease because millions of people are unaware, they have the life-threatening illness or may be at risk of getting it.

Are you the 33 percent of people who have at least one of the risk factors? Look around the next time you are sitting in a school auditorium or a high school football game or even in a giant, professional sports stadium. One third of every adult in there with you are at risk of developing dangerous kidney disease.

It is so common that just about everywhere you go, there are people there with kidney disease, but most don’t know it yet. Often there are no symptoms. They won’t find out until these vital organs to life stop working. When kidneys fail, only immediate dialysis or a transplant can save you.

NKFMDDE wants to change these odds. Every adult in the U.S. needs to know their risk and can find out with a simple, one-minute online quiz that can let the responder know if they are in the 33 percent and what to do next.

“We have a public health crisis that needs to be addressed by all Americans,” said NKMDDE Executive Director Pattie Dash. “We will never give up trying to find ways to reach people, slow or stop the progression of this disease and lessen the burden for patients. Early testing and interventions are the key to do that.”

NKFMDDE wants everyone to know the five risk factors for kidney disease:

· High blood pressure

· Heart disease

· Diabetes

· Obesity

· Or a family history of kidney disease.

If you have one or more of these factors, you need to go to minuteforyourkidneys.org today and find out what to do next and how to talk to your doctor.

Life-threatening kidney disease can strike anyone, young or old, and has many causes, but early intervention can make a difference. Lifestyle changes and a healthy diet can sometimes slow the progression of the disease when caught in the early stages, and sometimes can stop kidney failure.

Join the conversation on social media by looking for and posting the hashtag, #MinuteForYourKidneys especially on March 12, World Kidney Day, where buildings nationwide are turning orange to heighten awareness about the disease and the theme of the day “Prevention to Detection.”

The first steps to preventing kidney failure is knowing your risk and then getting tested. Two simple tests, one blood and one urine, can let your doctor know how your kidneys are doing. It’s easy to get tested and the results can save your life.

Kidney Disease Facts
In the United States, 37 million adults are estimated to have chronic kidney disease—and most aren’t aware of it. 1 in 3 American adults are at risk for chronic kidney disease. Risk factors for kidney disease include diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity and family history. People of African American, Hispanic, Native American, Asian or Pacific Islander descent are at increased risk for developing the disease. African Americans are 3 times more likely than Whites, and Hispanics are nearly 1.5 times more likely than non-Hispanics to develop end-stage renal disease (kidney failure).

About NKF
The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) is the largest, most comprehensive and longstanding organization dedicated to the awareness, prevention and treatment of kidney disease. For more information, visit www.kidney.org.