Honor World Kidney Day with DaVita

Learn if you're at risk of kidney disease

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Mar 09, 2017, 05:13 ET

ATLANTA, March 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- DaVita Kidney Care, a division of DaVita Inc. (NYSE: DVA) and a leading provider of kidney care services in the United States, today supports World Kidney Day by asking people to take a short risk quiz to help determine their risk of kidney disease, one of the top 10 leading causes of death in the U.S.

One in 10 adults (or around 31 million Americans) over 20 years of age in the U.S. have chronic kidney disease (CKD), the precursor to end stage renal disease. In Georgia alone, there are nearly 24,000 individuals with end stage renal disease.

John Dawson, a facility administrator in Atlanta said, "I talk with so many patients each day who tell me how unaware they previously were of the role that their diet and lifestyle choices played in ending up on dialysis. It is vital to educate everyone about kidney disease early, so that individuals are empowered to start making better decisions. Resources like the risk quiz may help catch those in the early stages or renal problems and may help delay them as much as possible."

One major challenge with CKD is that it is typically symptomless until its later stages, leaving many people unaware they are in an early stage of the disease. When kidney disease is detected in early stages, the progression may be slowed or prevented altogether with effective management of diet, exercise, medications and other diseases.

Those with diabetes and high blood pressure are at the greatest risk for developing kidney disease, as are people with cardiovascular disease, obesity, high cholesterol, lupus and a family history of the disease. Certain minority populations are disproportionately affected by CKD – particularly African-Americans, Hispanics and American Indians.

According to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

One in three people with diabetes has kidney disease.
One in five people with high blood pressure has kidney disease.
African-Americans are about three and a half times more likely to develop kidney failure than Caucasians.
Hispanics are one and a half times more likely to develop kidney failure than non-Hispanics.

The good news is there are many resources to help those impacted by kidney disease maintain a high-quality life. DaVita Kidney Care provides a comprehensive suite of offerings at no-cost, including:

myDaVita – A collection of online tools and resources for patients and caregivers that includes an online social community, kidney-friendly recipes, and tools to help with diet and nutrition management, and finding a nephrologist or a dialysis center.
DaVita Diet Helper™ – This tool helps patients take control of their health through diet management – a significant way to delay the progression of kidney disease. In addition to 1,000-plus kidney-friendly recipes, DaVita Diet Helper™ offers a way to track important nutritional information.
Kidney-Friendly Cookbooks – A collection of seasonal cookbooks with kidney-friendly recipes that give patients with kidney disease delicious and healthy meal options.
Kidney Smart – No-cost educational classes designed to give patients and caregivers the information they need to understand and manage kidney disease. Classes are open to the community and take place in cities across the U.S. Online classes are also available for those who prefer learning from home.

To take the risk quiz, learn about risk factors and access other kidney disease resources, please visit DaVita.com/LearnYourRisk.

About DaVita Kidney Care
DaVita Kidney Care is a division of DaVita Inc., a Fortune 500® company that, through its operating divisions, provides a variety of health care services to patient populations throughout the United States and abroad. A leading provider of dialysis services in the United States, DaVita Kidney Care treats patients with chronic kidney failure and end stage renal disease. DaVita Kidney Care strives to improve patients' quality of life by innovating clinical care, and by offering integrated treatment plans, personalized care teams and convenient health-management services. As of December 31, 2016, DaVita Kidney Care operated or provided administrative services at 2,350 outpatient dialysis centers located in the United States serving approximately 188,000 patients. The company also operated 154 outpatient dialysis centers located in 11 countries outside the United States. DaVita Kidney Care supports numerous programs dedicated to creating positive, sustainable change in communities around the world. The company's leadership development initiatives and social responsibility efforts have been recognized by Fortune, Modern Healthcare, Newsweek and WorldBlu. For more information, please visit DaVita.com.