KEEP Away from Kidney Disease

The Kidney Early Evaluation Program (KEEP) is a free health screening program offered by the National Kidney Foundation to help inform people about their risk of getting kidney disease. One-in-nine Americans have kidney disease, and anyone with diabetes, high blood pressure, or a family history of kidney problems is at greater risk of getting it. Kidney disease has no obvious symptoms at first, so early detection can help avoid health problems later such as kidney and heart failure and can eliminate the need to get dialysis or a kidney transplant.

Screenings methods continue to improve. Doctors are using an array of tests that can accurately predict kidney health concerns. Newer tests are more accurate and can spot signs of the disease much earlier. One test recently approved by the FDA is called Accumin ™. This test is used to detect albumin in urine, which is a risk factor for kidney disease. The National Kidney Foundation estimates that 40 million Americans have kidney disease or are at risk. They recommend that all adults have yearly screenings if they have diabetes or high blood pressure or if any family member (grandparents, parents, brother, sister) has diabetes, high blood pressure, or kidney disease.
SOURCES: National Kidney Foundation; American Journal of Clinical Pathology
www.kidney.org/news/keep/KEEPabout.cfm
www.ajcp.com/headlines/news/200412091.html

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