World Kidney Day

[SierraJim]

Yep, there is a World Kidney Day and its coming up on March 8!  Everyone get ready to celebrate!  Call your Doctors.  Call your Newspapers.  Set up a demonstration in your town!  (I'm kidding of course).  Here is a quote that is of interest (at least it was of interest to me).:

World Kidney Day is a joint initiative of the International Society of Nephrology (ISN) and the International Federation of Kidney Foundations (IFKF).

It was launched for the first time in 2006 and it is held the second Thursday of March. The next World Kidney Day will be celebrated on 8 March, 2007.

The purpose of World Kidney Day is to raise awareness about the importance of our kidneys – an amazing organ that plays a crucial role in keeping us alive and well – and to spread the message that kidney disease is common, harmful and treatable.

The relevant website for all this is www.worldkidneyday.org.  Best wishes to all.

Jim

[Sluff]

Thanks for the information Jim.

[brenda]

Thanks Jim. One of my customers who knows I have something wrong with me to do with my kidneys, asked me about that today. Guess it was in the paper. I didn't have a clue what he was talking about. And I didn't get time to read the paper today, way too busy at work.

[Bajanne]

Yep, there is a World Kidney Day and its coming up on March 8!  Everyone get ready to celebrate!  Call your Doctors.  Call your Newspapers.  Set up a demonstration in your town!  (I'm kidding of course).

Kidding about kidney day?   (just kidding!)

I must let them know at our centre.  Who knows what could happen??

[thegrammalady]

Yep, there is a World Kidney Day and its coming up on March 8!  Everyone get ready to celebrate!  Call your Doctors.  Call your Newspapers.  Set up a demonstration in your town!  (I'm kidding of course).  Here is a quote that is of interest (at least it was of interest to me).:

kidding, why? if all those things were done, more people would learn something about kidney disease.

[okarol]

March 8 set aside to observe World Kidney Day

By CHRISSY HEBERT/Staff Writer
Leesville Daily Leader Mar. 5, 2007

World Kidney Day is Thursday, March 8. This is a joint initiative of the International Society of Nephrology and the International Federation of Kidney foundations. Begun in 2006, World Kidney Day will be observed every year on the second Thursday in March.

The purpose of World Kidney Day is to raise awareness about the importance of our kidneys. These organs play a crucial role in sustaining life. Also, the goal is to deliver the message that while Kidney Disease is very common and harmful, it is also easily diagnosed and treated in the early stages.

The main function of the kidneys is to remove toxins and excess water from the blood. Every day our kidneys filter an average of 200 liters of blood, enough to fill 20 buckets. Kidneys also help control our blood pressure, produce red blood cells and keep bones healthy.

Chronic Kidney Disease is a process in which kidneys gradually lose their ability to function. It is a “silent disease” in that it often goes unnoticed because it may not show any symptoms until stage four of the disease. Stage five means complete kidney failure. By the time a patient reaches stage four, drastic and expensive treatments such as dialysis are usually needed.

One in 10 adults worldwide have some form of kidney damage. According to the National Kidney Foundation, one in nine adults in this country have chronic kidney disease, increasing their risk for heart attack and stroke.

Dr. Jocelyne Saikali, of Byrd Regional Hospital and the Lubbos Medical Clinic in Leesville wants people to know that kidney disease is easily diagnosed and treated. Patients would be wise to have their healthcare providers run a simple test to prevent future problems. Patients do not have to seek a specialist. General practitioners can easily provide this test.

“The typical test is a urine test. It's very simple and it costs less than five dollars. It tells you if you have blood or protein in the urine. These are the main indicators of early stage kidney disease.” Dr. Saikali said.

If your doctor thinks you may have CKD, some tests available include urine testing, checking for high blood pressure and measuring creatine levels in the blood. As part of the diagnosing process age, race and gender are used to find the glomerular filtration rate, which estimates the rate at which kidneys can filter waste. A normal GFR is 125 mililiters per minute, or higher. A lower GFR can mean a loss of kidney function.

“Kidneys are important. They regulate hormones and clean the blood. The testing for problems is very simple, it makes more sense to get a test than not get one. We need to create awareness of this problem.” Dr. Saikali said.

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[okarol]

Posted on Mon, Mar. 05, 2007
philly.com

Dear Abby | World Kidney Day on Thursday

DEAR ABBY: I have been dealing with diabetes for most of my life.

With all the checkups, I thought I was doing everything I could to stay healthy. What I didn't realize until I attended a free screening offered by the National Kidney Foundation was that diabetes is a leading cause of chronic kidney disease. This screening, called "KEEP" for Kidney Early Evaluation Program, is designed to detect kidney disease in the early stages.

Please let your readers know that March 8 is World Kidney Day - the day the National Kidney Foundation is offering free KEEP screenings in 30 cities around the United States.

Alma McBride, Merritt Island, Fla.

DEAR ALMA: Thank you for your helpful and informative letter. Readers, to locate the KEEP screening nearest you, visit www.keeponline.org, or call the National Kidney Foundation toll-free at 800-622-9010.