Kidneys matter, even though they don’t get much press.
Kidneys are just as important to sustaining a healthy body as the heart and lungs. They filter the blood, expelling wastes and toxins from the body. They also make and regulate hormones and keep blood pressure in control.
Most people with kidney disease don’t even know they have it. Neither do their doctors.
Kidney disease doesn’t present with early symptoms, so it’s not identified early. That means its risk factors can’t be proactively controlled, and why patients can lose up to 90% of their kidney function as the condition silently worsens.
What’s more, the disease’s rapid escalation is quite alarming, especially among diverse populations.
Black/African American people are more than 4 times as likely as White people to develop kidney failure. Black/African American people are 13% of the U.S. population, while representing 35% of those with kidney failure.
