World Kidney Day
World Kidney Day is the Kidney Foundations yearly global awareness campaign. This year it falls on March 9th. It’s important to know that 1 in 10 people are affected by kidney disease and that statistic is expected to grow. Kidney disease is no stranger to my family. My older sister had kidney disease. We never met because she died at the age of 3. Her name was Cheryl and she was my mother’s first child. Back then, in the early 1950s, treatment options and disease knowledge was not available.
What do kidneys do?
The main job of our kidneys is to remove toxins and excess water from our blood. They also help to control our blood pressure, to produce red blood cells and to keep our bones healthy. Every day kidneys carefully control the salt and water in our body so that your pressure remains consistent. The kidneys control bloodstream levels of many minerals and molecules including sodium and potassium and help to control blood acidity. World Kidney Day helps to educate and bring awareness to this important body organ.
How many are affected by kidney disease?
There are approximately 240 million people with diabetes worldwide and this figure is projected to rise to 380 million by 2025. High blood pressure is a major global health problem and is also projected to get worse. It is the major cause of CKD worldwide.
Tests and signs to be aware of:
A routine test of urine, blood and blood pressure can reassure or detect if there are any early signs of kidney problems. Persistent protein in the urine is an early sign of chronic kidney disease.
Goals of the Kidney Foundation campaigns are:
Raise awareness about our “amazing kidneys”
Highlight that diabetes and high blood pressure are key risk factors for Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)
Encourage systematic screening of all patients with diabetes and hypertension for CKD
Encourage preventive behaviors
Encourage transplantation as a best-outcome option for kidney failure, and the act of organ donation as a life-saving initiative.
March – The mission of World Kidney Day is to raise awareness of the importance of our kidneys to our overall health and to reduce the frequency and impact of kidney disease and its associated health problems worldwide. World Kidney day is a joint initiative of the International Society of Nephrology (ISN) and the International Federation of Kidney Foundations (IFKF).
WORLD KIDNEY DAY – Do what you can to get involved and support this organization.
