NANI Recognizes National Hispanic Heritage Month
Blog Date: October 6, 2021
National Hispanic Heritage Month is being recognized all month through October 15th. If you are Hispanic, you are at increased risk for kidney disease. Ask your doctor how often you should be tested. If you catch and treat kidney disease early, you may be able to prevent it from getting worse!
There are some things you can do to help protect yourself:
- Get tested. Talk to your doctor about being tested for diabetes, high blood pressure and kidney disease. Many patients with kidney disease never notice any symptoms until their kidneys are badly damaged. Ask your doctor if you can have blood and urine tests to look for signs of kidney disease.
- Eat right. Eat foods low in salt, fat and cholesterol. Eat foods that are high in fiber. Limit how much alcohol you drink.
- Live healthy. Exercise, keep a healthy weight, don’t smoke or use tobacco, and treat bladder and kidney infections fast.
- Manage diabetes and high blood pressure. Diabetes and high blood pressure cause about 2 out of 3 cases of kidney failure. If you have either or both conditions, talk to your doctor about how to keep them in control.
Hispanic Heritage Linked to Top Causes of Kidney Disease
Diabetes is the #1 cause of kidney failure.
Diabetes causes nearly 40 percent of all cases of kidney failure in the United States.
Hispanics are almost twice as likely (17%) as whites (8%) to have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes by a physician, and many are undiagnosed.
About 1 in 4 Hispanics over age 45 has diabetes, which can be caused by a combination of genetics, food and lifestyle.
High blood pressure is the #2 cause of kidney failure.
Hypertension causes about 1 out of 4 cases of kidney failure in the United States.
54.5% of Hispanic adults between 40 and 59 years old have high blood pressure, and 74.5% of those 60 and older, according to the CDC.
Research has shown that less than half of Hispanics knows that high blood pressure can cause kidney failure.
If your heritage is Hispanic or Latino, take care of your health to prevent Diabetes, High Blood Pressure and Kidney Disease. Talk to your doctor about testing your kidney function and see a specialist if the numbers are concerning.
For Every Three People in the US, One May Have Kidney Disease
The top risk factors for kidney disease include Hispanic/Asian/African Heritage, age over 65 and chronic conditions like Diabetes and High Blood Pressure. If you know someone with the top risk factors for kidney disease, encourage them to get their kidneys checked and take care of their overall health.
One in three of us have kidney disease, but some don’t know it yet. The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) is running a “Are You the 33%?” campaign urging everyone with a risk factor to learn more by taking a simple, one-minute online quiz at MinuteForYourKidneys.org. The campaign website is available in both English and Spanish at MinuteForYourKidneys.org. For more information about NKF, visit www.kidney.org.
Let’s spread the word! Talk to your doctor today and encourage others around you to do the same.
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