26 million US Citizens Face Chronic Kidney Disease - Most Unaware they Have it

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) reports that increased incidence of diabetes, hypertension and obesity are escalating the incidence of chronic kidney disease. Kidney disease is silent - symptoms are subtle - and most folks are unaware they have it. Kidney disease raises the risk of early death, heart attack, stroke, and high blood pressure and can lead to end stage kidney failure requiring dialysis and transplant. People with kidney disease also have anemia, bone disease and malnutrition.

In 2005, dialysis or a kidney transplant services cost the US healthcare system $32 billion, according to the NIH’s U.S. Renal Data System which predicts that by 2020 nearly 785,000 people will be receiving treatment for kidney failure, costing $53.6 billion.

People at risk? Those with diabetes, high blood pressure or family history of kidney disease. If you are in this high risk group, ask your doctor to do some simple tests to check your kidney function:

• Serum creatinine to estimate your glomerular filtration rate (GFR)
• Measure the level of protein in your urine

There is no cure for kidney disease, but it can be controlled by controlling blood sugar and blood pressure. An ACE inhibitor or ARB along with a diuretic should be among the medications used to control blood pressure.

Thank you Mollivan Jon for use of photo Kidney Ferns.