World Kidney Day is an annual global awareness and education event. This year it was held on the 12th March. The KPA hosted a raising awareness event at Guy’s Hospital and encouraged people to sign up to the organ donor register. The theme of the day was kidney health for all.
There are several easy ways to reduce the risk of developing chronic kidney disease and small changes can result in enormous health benefits:
- monitor your blood pressure – high blood pressure accelerates kidney damage
- keep fit and active – this helps to reduce your blood pressure
- don’t smoke – smoking can slow the blood flow to the kidneys
- eat healthily and keep your weight in check – this can help prevent diabetes and heart disease, both of which are associated with kidney damage
- get your kidney function checked – especially if anyone in the family has kidney disease, diabetes or high blood pressure or if you are of South Asian or African-Caribbean ethnic background
- keep well hydrated – this helps the kidneys to clear toxins from the body.
A few facts about kidney disease:
- it’s more common in older people
- it’s more common in Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities
- every year over 55,000 people are being treated for kidney failure in the UK
- every day one person dies while waiting for a kidney transplant in the UK