>Chronic Kidney Disease
Chronic kidney disease includes conditions that damage your kidneys and decrease their ability to keep you healthy. If kidney disease gets worse, wastes can build to high levels in your blood and make you feel sick. You may develop complications like high blood pressure, anemia (low blood count), weak bones, poor nutritional health and nerve damage. Also, kidney disease increases your risk of having heart and blood vessel disease. These problems may happen slowly over a long period of time. Chronic kidney disease may be caused by diabetes, high blood pressure and other disorders. Early detection and treatment can often keep chronic kidney disease from getting worse. When kidney disease progresses, it may eventually lead to kidney failure, which requires dialysis or a kidney transplant to maintain life.
The Facts About Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)
- 20 million Americans - 1 in 9 US adults - have CKD and an additional 20 million are at increased risk.
- Early detection can help prevent the progression of kidney disease to kidney failure.
- Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is the best estimate of kidney function.
- High blood pressure causes CKD and CKD causes high blood pressure.
- Persistant proteinuria means CKD.
- High risk groups include those with diabetes, high blood pressure and family history of kidney disease.
- African-Americans, Latinos, Pacific Islanders, American Indians and Seniors are at increased risk.
- Three simple tests can detect CKD: blood pressure, urine and serum creatinine.
The KidneyMobile®
The National Kidney Foundation of Illinois offers free screening and educational programs for people who are at-risk for developing kidney disease through the KidneyMobile®. KidneyMobile® is a 35 foot mobile unit that travels throughout the state of Illinois to provide free comprehensive kidney disease screenings and education. Check out www.kidneymobile.org for more information on the schedule and to view photos of the vehicle.