2010 World Kidney Day - Canadian EVENTS

My local kidney foundation sent this in email today:

Quote from: email

----- Original Message -----
From: The Kidney Foundation of Canada
To: Erika (she is the event coordinator in my local kidney foundation)
Sent: Thursday, March 11, 2010 5:00 AM
Subject: It's World Kidney Day - Pass it On!

We're not kidding -
Your kidneys ARE that important!

It's World Kidney Day and we want you to do two things this year - read this email and send it along to 25 people you know!

WHAT do you know about your kidneys? WHY are your kidneys important? WHERE are the kidneys located? HOW many Canadians live with Chronic Kidney Disease? WHO is at risk for developing Chronic Kidney Disease? WHEN should you test your kidney health?

Were you able to answer all these questions confidently? How about some of them? If you didn't know the answers to these questions, don't feel bad because you're not alone. A recent survey conducted by The Kidney Foundation of Canada showed that Canadians failed the grade three out of four times when asked basic questions about kidney disease. Moreover, nearly half of respondents (44 per cent) say the kidneys don't come to mind as a major organ in the body.Yet, an estimated 2 million Canadians live with chronic kidney disease (CKD), or are at risk of developing it.

This doesn't have to be the case.

Today is World Kidney Day, and we encourage you to pass this message along to 25 people whom you know and care about; with an average of 14 kidneys failing a day, it may be the most laudable thing you can do for them.

We also ask that you visit kidney.ca/worldkidneyday to learn more about your kidneys and the ways to prevent kidney disease.

The danger with CKD lays in the fact that is a silently progressive disease, meaning that destruction and damage is often only detectable when it is too late and kidney function is almost completely gone. And, when kidney function is gone, your body loses the ability to filter out impurities from it. As such, it is imperative to know the risk factors of CKD because people at risk of developing kidney disease need to be evaluated regularly.

If you have diabetes, you may be at a greater risk of developing CKD. In fact, diabetes is one of the largest risk factors for developing CKD, along with high blood pressure. Yet, 57 per cent of Canadians polled were not aware of this connection. In addition to diabetes and high blood pressure, blood vessel diseases, age and a family history of kidney disease are also risk factors. Members of certain ethnic groups (Aboriginal, Asian, south Asian, Pacific Island, African/Caribbean and Hispanic origin) are also at high risk because of the greater incidence of diabetes and high blood pressure.

Please keep in mind, if you do not fall into these categories you may still develop kidney disease. What do you need to do to test for kidney function, you ask? Well, it's easy - one simple test will indicate what is your estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) or kidney function level. Your family doctor can order this test simply and quickly. Simply put, if you know at what capacity your kidneys are functioning, you'll know how healthy they are.

Remember, the more people that are tested, the easier it will be to catch kidney disease early; and, if detected early, CKD can be treated and progression prevented, thus reducing other complications including premature death.

In addition to testing for your eGFR, these other easy steps will help prevent the progression of CKD:

* Have your blood pressure checked regularly. High blood pressure is a risk factor for CKD
* Take steps to control your blood pressure. Focus on a healthy diet and keep a
* Stay alert for changes in your urine
* Watch for symptoms of anemia
* Have a yearly urine and blood test along with a physical examination
* Stay active. Regular exercise will help keep your body functioning normally
* Drink lots of water
* Tell your doctor if your family has a history of high blood pressure, diabetes or kidney disease

On this World Kidney Day we ask again that you please pass this message on to your friends, family members and colleagues, and also www.kidney.ca to learn how you can prevent kidney disease. The word needs to spread about the importance of protecting your kidneys, and it's in your hands to do so!

With appreciation to Genzyme Canada for its support of this World Kidney Day initiative.

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http://www.kidney.ca/worldkidneyday

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