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Raising Awareness of Kidney Disease
March is National Kidney Month, a time to recognize the growing epidemic of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in the United States. Diabetes and high blood pressure are the leading causes of kidney disease, yet many people with these conditions are not aware of their risk. You can help raise awareness about kidney disease and its risk factors. Share the NKDEP's National Kidney Month webpage (www.nkdep.nih.gov/kidneymonth) with your patients, families, and friends.
March 8, 2007 marked the second annual World Kidney Day. Created by the International Society of Nephrology and the International Federation of Kidney Foundations, World Kidney Day calls attention to the importance of maintaining healthy kidneys and the global need for the early detection and prevention of kidney disease. Health care professionals, kidney patients and their families and friends in more than 40 countries are participating in World Kidney Day activities. For more information, visit the World Kidney Day website (www.worldkidneyday.org).
NKDEP attended a World Kidney Day Symposium in Los Angeles—organized by Dr. Keith Norris from the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science and by Healthy African American Families II, among others—that brought together a diverse group of hundreds of professionals and community members to discuss prevention, education, and community intervention strategies. Dr. Andrew Narva, Director of NKDEP, gave a presentation about CKD risk factors and NKDEP programs and activities. NKDEP also conducted informal focus groups with participants to gather feedback on several new patient education materials.
CDC Releases New Estimates of CKD in the US
CDC's March 2 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (Vol. 56, No. 8) details the prevalence of CKD and associated risk factors in the United States from 1999-2004. Using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), the report estimates that 16.8% of the U.S. population over the age of 20 had CKD, compared with 14.5% from 1988-1994. People with diabetes, high blood pressure, or cardiovascular disease had a greater prevalence of CKD compared to people without those conditions. CKD prevalence was also greater in non-Hispanic blacks and Mexican Americans compared to non-Hispanic whites. Read the full report on the CDC website (www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5608a2.htm?s_cid=mm5608a2_e).
Formation of Kidney Federal Agency Network
NKDEP is pleased to announce the formation of a Kidney Federal Agency Network (KFAN). KFAN is an informal network of Federal agencies who are involved in the response to chronic kidney disease. The KFAN initiative supports and promotes interagency communication and collaboration with the goal of shaping a more coordinated response to CKD. NKDEP provides strategic and logistical support for KFAN.
Current KFAN activities include a quarterly newsletter, KFANews, and meetings of agency staff who lead an aspect of the Federal response to CKD. The newsletter covers a broad range of issues related to chronic kidney disease, and serves as a way for KFAN participants to highlight their activities and share knowledge and tools with each other. The first issue of KFANews went out in February to federal employees with interest in CKD and in the audiences impacted by the disease. If you would like to see a copy of KFANews, please contact us at nkdep@info.niddk.nih.gov.
The first KFAN meeting is scheduled for May 2007. One outcome of the meeting will be to develop a directory of Federal CKD programs and experts, which will be available on the NKDEP website.
Creatinine Standardization Program Update: NIST announces release of SRM 967
In early February, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) released SRM 967 to evaluate the accuracy of procedures determining serum creatinine. This material will help in-vitro diagnostics manufacturers and clinical laboratories identify and address inter-laboratory variations in creatinine measurement. NKDEP and the College of American Pathologists collaborated with NIST to develop the SRM.
To order SRM 967, visit the NIST website (https://srmors.nist.gov/view_detail.cfm?srm=967).
For more background information on SRM 967, read the first page of NIST's February 2007 SRM Spotlight (http://ts.nist.gov/MeasurementServices/ReferenceMaterials/ upload/February_2007_Spotlight.pdf).
Upcoming Meeting to Address Urine Albumin Measurement and Reporting
The next NKDEP eUpdate will report on the outcomes of a meeting in late March about global standardization for urine albumin measurement and reporting. The meeting is being co-hosted by NKDEP and the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine.
Funding Available for Local Health Programs
The Local Initiative Funding Partners Program (LIFP) is a partnership program between the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) and local grant makers to fund promising, original projects to significantly improve the health of vulnerable people in their communities. This program encourages proposals for new, original, promising solutions to complex health problems; especially projects that address the health needs of people who are not reached by traditional health and social services or for whom existing systems are fragmented and insufficient.
The awards are matching grants of $200,000 to $500,000 per project, paid out over three or four years. The deadline for applications is July 10, 2007 for awards that begin July 1, 2008. Projects must be nominated by a local grant maker interested in participating as one of the funding partners.
More information is available from LIFP (www.lifp.org/html/apply/faq.html) and the RWJF (www.rwjf.org/files/applications/cfp/cfp_LIFP2008.pdf).
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