Ten Surprising Facts Everyone Should Know About Kidney Disease
March 06 2014 - 9:00AM
Business Wire
Fresenius Medical Care Urges Education,
Screening During National Kidney Month
More than 26 million Americans have chronic kidney disease
(CKD), but many don’t realize it because people often do not have
symptoms early in the disease. This March, during National Kidney
Month, Fresenius Medical Care North America (FMCNA), the nation’s
leading network of dialysis facilities, is urging Americans to
learn more about CKD. Those who are at risk should get screened
regularly, since early intervention may slow the progression of the
disease.
Kidneys are remarkable organs that keep the body healthy in many
ways, including cleaning waste products from the blood and
releasing important hormones into the blood. Healthy kidneys filter
about 200 liters of blood a day, as well as help regulate blood
pressure and direct the production of red blood cells. But they can
be damaged by diabetes, uncontrolled high blood pressure and even
the use of some over-the-counter medications and supplements.
CKD – a loss of kidney function that can take place over a
period of months or years – often goes undiagnosed in its early
stages when it may still be treated by medication, exercise and
diet changes. Once the disease progresses to kidney failure, the
only options for survival are dialysis treatments or a kidney
transplant.
“It’s important to find out early if you have CKD, because there
are often interventions that may slow its progression,” says Dr.
Dugan W. Maddux, vice president of Kidney Disease Initiatives at
FMCNA. “Especially if you have diabetes or high blood pressure, you
need to understand your risks and get regular screenings.”
The Top 10 List: What You Need to Know About Kidney
Disease
1. About 13 percent of U.S. adults have CKD.
2. The leading causes of CKD are diabetes and high blood
pressure, which cause an estimated 44 percent and 28 percent,
respectively, of new U.S. kidney failure cases. Diabetes rates are
rising in large part due to increasing obesity rates.
3. Most people are born with two kidneys, but you only need one
functioning kidney to live a full, healthy life.
4. CKD progresses in stages and, if untreated, can lead to
complete loss of kidney function. At CKD stage five, when both
kidneys fail completely, the only options for survival are dialysis
or a kidney transplant.
5. The progression of CKD can often be slowed, but many people
do not have symptoms early in the disease. Symptoms such as
fatigue, headaches, diminished appetite and weight loss occur late
in the course of CKD.
6. CKD affects people of all ages. However, those 60 and over
are the most likely to develop CKD.
7. Certain ethnic groups, including African Americans, Hispanics
and Native Americans, are more likely than Caucasians to develop
CKD.
8. About 430,000 Americans with kidney failure rely on regular
blood-filtering dialysis treatments to survive.
9. Although most patients receive dialysis treatments in a
clinic three days a week, a growing number (nearly 40,000 U.S.
patients in 2013) undergo dialysis in the comfort of their own
homes.
10. More than 90,000 U.S. patients are waiting for kidney
transplants, but only about 18,000 of those will get a kidney
transplant each year.
For more information about kidney disease and its treatments,
visit FMCNA’s website at www.ultracare-dialysis.com; if you or a
loved one are at risk for CKD, please visit your physician and get
screened. For more information on National Kidney Month, please
visit www.ultracare-dialysis.com/kidneymonth.
About Fresenius Medical Care North America
Through our leading network of more than 2,150 dialysis
facilities in North America and our vascular access centers,
laboratory, pharmacy and affiliated hospitals and nephrology
practices, Fresenius Medical Care provides renal services to
hundreds of thousands of people throughout the United States,
Mexico and Canada. We are also the continent’s top producer of
dialysis equipment, dialyzers and related disposable products and a
major supplier of renal pharmaceuticals.
For more information about the company, visit www.fmcna.com; for
information about patient services, visit
www.ultracare-dialysis.com.
Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available:
http://www.businesswire.com/multimedia/home/20140306005169/en/
Full & ByThea Bakkar,
415-445-4000bakkart@fullandby.coorFresenius Medical CareRosemary
Heinold, 781-699-4171rosemary.heinold@fmc-na.com
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