It’s Time to Think About Your Kidneys

Does March make you think of spring? Daylight saving time? March Madness? Or maybe all three, but probably not your kidneys.

Think again! March is also National Kidney Month and March 9 is World Kidney Day, bringing much-needed attention to kidney disease prevention. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects 10% of the global population, and here in the United States 15% of adults are estimated to have CKD.

The leading causes? Diabetes and high blood pressure. Nearly 1 in 3 adults with diabetes and 1 in 5 adults with high blood pressure could have CKD.

Find it Early, Treat it Early

Most people who have CKD don’t know they have it because there aren’t any signs or symptoms at first. Talk to your doctor about getting tested if you have any of the risk factors:

• Diabetes
• High blood pressure
• Heart disease
• High cholesterol
• Family history of CKD
• Age 50 or older

Also, if you’re African American, Hispanic/Latino American, or American Indian, you’re at higher risk for CKD.