National Kidney Awareness
The National Kidney Awareness Day (March, 14) is dedicated to the awareness, risk factors, prevention and treatment of kidney disease for hundreds of thousands of healthcare professionals, millions of patients and their families, and tens of millions of Americans at risk.
About The Kidneys:
The kidneys are two, fist-sized organs in lower back of the body. They maintain overall health through the following functions:
- Kidneys filter about 200 liters of blood each day and remove waste out of the body.
- Regulating of the body’s salt, potassium and acid content.
- Help to regulate blood pressure.
- Removing of drugs from the body.
- Balancing the body’s fluids.
- Releasing hormones that regulate blood pressure.
- Producing an active form of vitamin D that promotes strong, healthy bones.
- Controlling the production of red blood cells.
Quick Facts on Kidney Disease:
- Kidneys are also prone to disease.
- About 1 in 3 Americans is at risk for kidney disease due to diabetes, high blood pressure or a family history of kidney failure.
- More than 30 million Americans have kidney disease, and most don’t know it because there are often no symptoms until the disease has progressed.
- There are over 95,000 people waiting for kidney transplants.
- More than 590,000 people have kidney failure in the US today.
- Kidney disease is the 9th leading cause of death in the country.