The National Kidney Foundation of Maryland (NKF-MD) will hold a free KEY (Kidneys: Evaluate Yours) health screening, Sunday, Oct. 2, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Church of the Redeemed of the Lord (4321 Old York Rd., Baltimore, Md. 21212).
As part of NKF-MD’s mission of early detection and early intervention, KEY screenings identify early markers for kidney disease, as well as high blood pressure and diabetes. No appointments are needed and any adult can participate.
Lasting about 20 minutes, the screening includes blood pressure and weight checks, as well as counseling with a doctor and dietician. Additionally, blood tests may be given to those needing to have their blood sugar and kidney function checked.
Overall, kidney disease affects 26 million people – that’s one in nine Marylanders and one in eight in Baltimore. One in three American adults – 73 million people – is at risk for kidney disease, and the risk increases to one in two over the course of a lifetime.
In Baltimore, kidney disease is a hidden health crisis because African Americans make up more than 60 percent of the city’s population, and they are at increased risk for developing kidney disease.
Most people affected do not realize they have it until the condition has progressed. In fact, 25 percent of the 1,229 people screened in fiscal year 2015 by NKF-MD demonstrated significant results.
“For every 10 people who have kidney disease 9 of them do not know that they have it,” said Traci Barnett, NKF-MD’s president and CEO. “We encourage people to get tested because early detection and treatment can slow or prevent the progression of kidney disease.”
NKF-MD plans to hold more KHRA events and kidney screenings throughout Maryland and Delaware. For more information, call 410-494-8545 or visit www.kidneymd.org.
ABOUT NKF-MD
Serving central and western Maryland, the Delmarva Peninsula and portions of Virginia and West Virginia, the National Kidney Foundation of Maryland is the area’s only voluntary health agency dedicated to preventing kidney and urinary tract diseases, improving the health and well-being of individuals and families affected by these diseases, and increasing the availability of all organs for transplantation. For more information, visit www.kidneymd.org.
