LUTHERVILLE, Md. – The National Kidney Foundation of Maryland (NKF-MD) will provide outreach and education at Gospel Tabernacle Baptist Church’s Survivor’s Service of Thanksgiving/Health Fair, taking place Sunday, Nov. 13, from 4 to 6 p.m., at 3100 Walbrook Ave., Baltimore, Md.21216.

As part of its mission of early detection and early intervention, NKF-MD will explain why the kidneys are important, discuss risk factors for kidney disease and give recommendations for protecting the kidneys. This information is particularly relevant to Blacks and African Americans, who have an increased risk of developing kidney failure due to higher rates of diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease.

“African Americans are three times more likely to develop kidney disease so it is critical for them to be aware of these risk factors and visit their doctor or clinic regularly to check their blood sugar, blood pressure, urine protein and kidney function,” said Traci Barnett, NKF-MD’s president and CEO. “We look forward to being out in the community at events like this Thanksgiving service and health fair, where we can deliver our message directly.”

For details about this event or NKF-MD’s other outreach events and kidney screenings, call 410.494.8545 or visit www.kidneymd.org.

African Americans & Kidney Disease

• Blacks and African Americans suffer from kidney failure at triple the rate of Caucasians.
• In the United States, African Americans constitute more than 35 percent of all patients receiving dialysis for kidney failure, but only represent 13.2 percent of the overall population.
• Over 60 percent of dialysis patients in Maryland are African American.
• Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure in African Americans. African Americans are twice as likely to be diagnosed with diabetes as Caucasians.
• Approximately 4.9 million African Americans over 20 years of age are living with either diagnosed or undiagnosed diabetes.
• African Americans with diabetes are more likely to develop complications from the disease and to have greater disability from these complications than Caucasians.
• High blood pressure is the second leading cause of kidney failure among African Americans, and remains the leading cause of death due to its link with heart attacks and strokes.
• African Americans are also more likely to develop serious complications such as heart disease and strokes.

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.