Although the month of March has been designated as National Kidney Disease Awareness Month, the American Association of Kidney Patients’ (AAKP) goal is to provide yearlong support for awareness and education of the disease.
The organizations’ pursuit is a difficult one being that many individuals not only don’t understand how serious the disease can be but that it’s directly related to other serious ailments.
In order for groups like the AAKP to help decrease the rate of chronic kidney disease (CKD) those suffering from the disease or those susceptible should know the statistics. According to the AAKP, over 26 million people in the U.S. have CKD and according to the National Kidney Foundation (NKF), Blacks are at an increased risk.
When the kidneys are functioning properly the organ regulates the body water and other chemicals in your blood such as sodium, potassium, phosphorus and calcium; remove drugs and toxins introduced into your body; release hormones into your blood to help your body regulate blood pressure, make red blood cells, and promote strong bones.
The NKF states CKD is defined as having some type of kidney abnormality or “marker” such as protein in the urine, and having decreased kidney function for three months or longer with it’s two main causes being diabetes and hypertension. Other reasons can be linked to polycystic kidney disease, or hereditary reasons, congenital problem, lupus, drug toxicity among others.
“The sad thing about kidney disease is you are not symptomatic until you’re in the late stage,” said Bobbi Wager, president of AAKP. Once a patient is in the late stages some of their symptoms include shortness of breath, filling up with fluid, headaches, nausea and vomiting.
What also makes CKD so devastating to the body is that hypertension causes CKD and CKD causes hypertension. That coupled with diabetes puts African Americans at an increased disadvantage for having CKD.
“Blacks are four times more likely to develop kidney failure because of the diabetes and hypertension. One third of new kidney failure patients are African Americans,” added Wager.
Although one can die from complications due to CKD, the disease can be prevented, treated and controlled.
Control of one’s diabetes and hypertension levels means control of kidney function. Sometimes, chronic kidney disease may progress to kidney failure, requiring dialysis or kidney transplantation when there is only 10 or 15 percent function left.
The best way to prevent CKD is early detection, knowing family history, proper diet and exercise, having a moderate alcohol intake, quitting smoking and taking all prescribed medicines.
For more information, call the National Kidney Foundation (800) 622-9010 or visit www.kidney.org; or the American Association of Kidney Patients at 800-749-2257 or visit www.aakp.org.
