National Kidney Foundation Serving Texas
Reminds Everyone to “Heart Your Kidneys” on
World Kidney Day
March 8, 2018
Expanded public awareness campaign
relaunches for March, National Kidney Month
(DALLAS, TX)— On World
Kidney Day, March 8, 2018 and throughout
the month of March - National
Kidney Month - the National
Kidney Foundation (NKF) is reminding all
Americans to “Heart
Your Kidneys.”
More than 30 million American adults are
estimated to have kidney disease, the 9th leading
cause of death in the U.S., and growing in
prevalence. To further raise awareness among
the young and the young at heart, NKF has
partnered with 10-year-old America’s Got
Talent singer and kidney transplant
recipient Angelica Hale. NKF and Angelica
are advancing the “Heart
Your Kidneys” public awareness campaign
introduced last year to elevate knowledge
about, and concern for, kidneys to the level
of the body’s other, better-understood,
vital organs such as the heart.
People also need to know that kidneys are
the foundation for a healthy heart. Kidney
healthy is also heart healthy, so when you
“heart your kidneys,” you also show love for
your heart! The number one cause of death
in people with kidney disease is heart
disease.
At age 4, Angelica’s kidneys failed. Her
mother, Eva Hale, donated one of her own
kidneys to her daughter to save her life.
Today, both mother and daughter are healthy.
Angelica’s story is a reminder that when your
kidneys stop working, so do you. Dialysis or
a transplant is needed just to stay alive.
“Eat right, exercise, drink water, and keep
your kidneys healthy, because whatever
you’re good at, there’s only one you,” said
Angelica as part of a new series of “Heart
Your Kidneys” video public service
announcements she recorded for NKF. Also,
earlier this week, Angelica became NKF’s
newest face of kidney advocacy on Capitol
Hill during this year’s Kidney Patient
Summit in Washington, D.C., where she helped
support key NKF legislative priorities.
NKF Serving Texas urges anyone with
diabetes, hypertension, or a family history
of kidney disease to speak with their doctor
this month, or anytime, and ask about
getting tested for kidney disease. “It
takes just two simple tests at the doctor’s
office to check your kidney health. Even if
you inherit kidney disease, you may be able
to slow down progression of the disease with
lifestyle changes,” said Neil Foote, local
board chair.
Free
and Open to the Public:
On Thursday, March 8, 2018, from 10:00 AM
until 2:00 PM the National Kidney
Foundation and Dallas County Health & Human
Services Department (DCHHS) will offer free
kidney screenings at DCHHS, 2377 North
Stemmons Freeway, Dallas, Texas 75207. No
appointment necessary! What to expect: Risk
survey, blood pressure check, body mass
index measurement, an opportunity to speak
with a healthcare professional, free
educational materials and for individuals at
risk, an ACR urine test for albumin (a type
of protein). Must be 18 years of age or
older to participate.
To further commemorate World Kidney Day and
bring awareness to the disease the NKF is
hosting a Patient & Community Education
Seminar & Luncheon on Sunday,
March 11 from 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM at the
DoubleTree Hotel Dallas Campbell Centre. For
more information about these events, contact
the NKF office at 214.351.2393 ext 655.
Join the conversation on social media by
looking for and posting the #HeartYourKidneys hashtag.
Kidney Disease Facts
30 million American adults are estimated to
have chronic
kidney disease—and
most aren’t aware of it. 1 in 3 American
adults are at risk for chronic kidney
disease. Risk
factors for kidney disease include
diabetes, high blood pressure, heart
disease, obesity and family history of
kidney failure. People of African American,
Hispanic, Native American, Asian or Pacific
Islander descent are at increased risk for
developing the disease. African Americans
are 3 times more likely than Whites, and
Hispanics are nearly 1.5 times more likely
than non-Hispanics to develop end-stage
renal disease (kidney failure).
The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) is the
largest, most comprehensive and longstanding
organization dedicated to the awareness,
prevention and treatment of kidney disease.
For more information about NKF visit www.kidney.org.