Mar. 10 – Treatment Of Kidney Disease
NKF is the leading organization in the U.S. dedicated to the awareness, prevention and treatment of kidney disease for hundreds of thousands of healthcare professionals, millions of patients and their families, and tens of millions of Americans at risk.
Our Vision: To enhance the lives of everyone with, at risk of, or affected by kidney disease.
1. Our “Pillars” for the next five years:
Combatting the growing public health challenge of kidney disease through:
- Awareness
- Awareness of the kidney, kidney disease and NKF among the general public
- Prevention
- Prevent CKD in at-risk population; prevent progression of CKD in early stage patients
- Treatment
- Promote optimal treatment by offering education to patients, caregivers and healthcare practitioners
2. Focusing the message:
The Problem:
- 73 million adults – that’s 1 in 3 who are at risk.
- 26 million people – that’s 1 in 9 who live with CKD (1 in 9 Marylanders and 1 in 8 in Baltimore), and most don’t know it.
- The risk of developing kidney disease increases to 1 in 2 over the course of a lifetime.
The Solution:
- Kidney disease can be detected early through simple screening.
- Know your numbers for blood pressure, sugar (blood glucose) and creatinine.
- See your doctor.
- NKF is the go to organization for all things kidney.
3. Did you know:
- 10-12 Marylanders die daily awaiting a life-saving organ.
- Daily, approximately 2,711 Marylanders await a kidney for transplantation.*
- Approximately 427,000 Americans are on dialysis.**
- In Maryland, approximately 8, 580 people are on dialysis (more than 2,200 in Baltimore City). In central Maryland, more than 2,200 are on dialysis. Over 60% of dialysis patients in Maryland are African American.**
- In Western Maryland, more than 400 people are on dialysis, and on the Delmarva Peninsula, more than 1,200 people are on dialysis.**
- Nationally, nearly 3,000 new patients are added to the kidney waiting list each month.
- Of the 123,481 Americans on the waiting list for a lifesaving organ transplant, more than 101,906 need a kidney.
- A single organ donor can save up to 8 lives through organ donation.
4. Diabetes and uncontrolled high blood pressure are the leading risk factors for kidney failure.
5. Dialysis treatment for an average patient costs approximately $70,000 per year.
6. Kidney disease is the 9th leading cause of death, which is more than breast and prostate cancer combined.
