Are You High Risk for Kidney Disease?

Did you know that kidney disease is the ninth leading cause of death in the United States? In fact, one in three American adults is at risk of developing the disease. In 2015, an estimated 31 million Americans were diagnosed with chronic kidney disease, which is 10 percent of the adult population. However, many people are not even aware they have kidney disease or are at risk of developing it.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health, you may be at risk of kidney disease if the following applies to you:

• Members of your family have kidney disease
• You were born prematurely
• You have type 1 or type 2 diabetes
• You are obese
• You have high cholesterol
• You have heart disease
• You have uncontrolled high blood pressure
• You are age 65 or older (chronic kidney disease increases after age 50 and is most common among adults over age 70)

Although kidney disease can affect people of all ages and races, African Americans, Hispanics, and Native Americans tend to be at greater risk. This is due mostly to higher rates of diabetes and high blood pressure in these communities (both diabetes and high blood pressure are the leading causes of kidney disease). There are no early signs or symptoms of kidney disease. Therefore, it is vital that people with diabetes and high blood pressure get tested for kidney disease regularly.

To learn more about testing and treatments for kidney disease, call Paris Community Hospital at (217) 465-CARE (2273).