The W.G. “Bill” Hefner VA Medical Center in Salisbury will observe World Kidney Day on Thursday. The initiative, a first within Veterans Health Administration, will include several activities, including:
• Employees forming a human chain during the lunch hour, with a gathering on the main entrance island on campus;
• Informational display stations will be set up in Buildings 2 and 3 for veterans and their families, describing the important role played by kidneys;
• Brochures and flyers will be distributed, encouraging patients to discuss the role of kidneys and risk factors with their doctors;
• Everyone with diabetes, hypertension and heart disease will be encouraged to get the basic screening tests when they visit their primary care doctors; and
• An informative lecture will be arranged later in the month of March for the primary care physicians describing their role in chronic kidney disease (CKD) care and management
Some 26 million Americans have CKD and millions of others are at increased risk. One in nine adult Americans has chronic kidney disease according to the National Kidney Foundation (www.kidney.org). Most are unaware of the risks or the presence of CKD.
Those with diabetes, hypertension and family history of kidney disease are at a higher risk of developing CKD. No particular ethnic group is spared, but African Americans, Hispanics, Pacific Islander, and Native Americans, as well as seniors are at an increased risk.
Three simple tests can detect CKD: blood pressure, urine albumin and serum creatinine (blood test). If kidney disease gets worse, wastes can build to high levels in the blood causing complications like high blood pressure, anemia (low blood count), weak bones, poor nutritional health and nerve damage. Kidney disease also increases the risk of having heart and blood vessel disease. These problems may happen slowly over a long period of time.
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. For more information, visit www.worldkidneyday.org.