Daily HealthBeat Tip - November 08, 2007

Make the kidney connection

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

Early kidney disease does not make you feel sick. So the only way to know if you have kidney disease is to get tested. The sooner you get tested the sooner you can take steps to keep your kidneys healthier longer.

That’s the advice of the National Kidney Disease Education Program, in a drive targeted especially to African Americans. African Americans are at higher risk of kidney failure.

The campaign is based on a brochure called Make the Kidney Connection. The director of the National Kidney Disease Education Program, Dr. Andrew Narva:

``The brochure explains the reasons for being screened, who’s at risk, which includes people with diabetes, high blood pressure, a family member with kidney disease or heart disease.’’ (9 seconds)

It also talks about how screening is done – basically, a urine test and a blood test.

Learn more at hhs.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I’m Ira Dreyfuss.

Last revised: May, 26 2008