African-Americans are 13 percent of the US population, but represent 32 percent of kidney failure cases nationally. To combat this public health issue, black churches are hosting Kidney Sundays to raise awareness and highlight solutions to the problem.
You could be slowly dying and not know it. Your blood could be poisoned, yet you don't have a clue. Then suddenly you need to be rushed to the hospital, but it's too late. If only you had taken two simple tests that could have caught the disease before it became critical.
Troubling.
That's what I was thinking as I listened to Dr. Griffin P. Rodgers, director of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases talk about the "silent" killer. Rodgers described this scenario that is sadly real for too many African Americans who fail each year to get tested for kidney disease. "It's really considered the silent disease," Rodgers said, which is why the institute has partnered with African American churches to publicize the importance of getting tested early before it's too late.
March is National Kidney Month. On March 3, sixty churches across the country are kicking off the month with ongoing National Kidney Sunday. In partnership with the Chi Eta Phi nursing sorority, the American Diabetes Association, the Institute provides free testing at churches along with a kidney disease toolkit of information to be used for group discussions or individuals. Information includes how to prevent kidney disease and how to treat it successfully. In its second year, The Institute expects this initiative to reach at least 55,000 church members, who will hopefully spread the word to family, friends, coworkers, and so on.
An estimated 26 million Americans suffer from kidney disease. It costs about $23 billion annually to treat late stage kidney disease, Rogers said. Hispanics, Native Americans and African Americans are the highest risk groups. Blacks are nearly four times as likely as Whites to develop kidney failure. Though about 13 percent of the U.S. population, African Americans represent 32 percent of kidney failure cases nationally. Rodgers said much of this has to do with the environment in which many blacks live. Blacks are disproportionately poor; as a result, they often have inferior access to quality health care and nutrition.
"If you're living in an area where there is not readily access to fresh fruits, but rather fast food that has more soda, and sugar that's a factor," said Rogers, adding that the two leading causes of kidney disease are hypertension and diabetes.
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SOURCE: Urban Faith
