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Thursday, March 10, 2011
NIH urges — Be kind to your kidneys!
Programs recognize World Kidney Day, National Kidney Month.
Kidney disease can lead to heart disease, and vice versa. And on World Kidney Day, Griffin P. Rodgers, M.D., director of the NIH’s National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases asks people to consider the link, and what they can do to protect kidney health. March 10 marks World Kidney Day this year; it's part of National Kidney Month.
More than 20 million adults have chronic kidney disease and an estimated 16.3 million or roughly 7 percent of adults — have heart disease. And over 7.1 million people have both.
As part of National Kidney Month, the NIH’s National Kidney Disease Education Program suggests at least 10 things people can do to be kind to their kidneys and to look out for family and friends. Topping the list is getting tested for kidney disease if you have diabetes, high blood pressure, or a family history of kidney failure. Learn about the other nine actions by visiting www.nkdep.nih.gov/KidneyMonth.
While NIH programs help people understand their kidneys and how to protect them, NIH researchers and those supported by NIH are working to better understand why and how the kidneys become damaged and how to prevent the disease and improve care:
- In Nov. 2010, the Frequent Hemodialysis Network Daily Trial (NCT00264758) found that increasing hemodialysis to six times week from the standard three times improved heart health. Learn more at http://www.nih.gov/news/health/nov2010/niddk-20.htm.
- The Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort study (NCT00304148) is following nearly 4,000 adults to identify factors associated with rapid progression of kidney disease and the development or worsening of heart disease. What we learn from this study is expected to help us identify ways to intervene.
- The Chronic Kidney Disease Biomarker Discovery and Validation Consortium is developing blood and urine tests to better predict patients who will have rapid progression of kidney disease or worsening of heart disease.
Learn more about these NIH studies and others at www.ClinicalTrials.gov. Participating in a clinical study is another way people can help themselves, family and friends. And there are many opportunities. Among the 85,000 studies listed, a recent search found nearly 5,000 related to kidney disease and more than 12,000 related to heart disease.
The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, part of NIH, conducts and supports basic and clinical research and research training on some of the most common, severe and disabling conditions affecting Americans. The institute's research interests include diabetes and other endocrine and metabolic diseases; digestive diseases, nutrition, and obesity; and kidney, urologic and hematologic diseases. For more information, visit www.niddk.nih.gov.
About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.
NIH…Turning Discovery Into Health®
2009 Annual Data Report, United States Renal Data System