Monday, March 01, 2021
Panel of experts to address ‘Living Well with Kidney Disease’
If you have high blood pressure or diabetes, you’re at risk of developing chronic kidney disease. It’s estimated 15%, or 37 million American adults, have chronic kidney disease - the ninth leading cause of death in the U.S. Of those, approximately 600,000 currently undergo dialysis or have had a kidney transplant.
Have questions about kidney disease? Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak and the National Kidney Foundation of Michigan, or NKFM, have teamed up to offer a free, virtual community panel discussion on Thursday, March 11 - World Kidney Day from 11:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. The program’s theme is “Living Well with Kidney Disease.”
The panel of experts include a Beaumont nephrologist, a dietitian and a person living with kidney disease. They’ll discuss effective strategies for living with kidney disease, nutrition tips and COVID-19’s impact on the kidney community.
Visit nkfm.org/WKD to join the virtual event on March 11. To submit questions before March 11, or to receive an email reminder to join the event, email contact@nkfm.org.
Dr. Lisa Cohen, chief of Nephrology, Beaumont, Royal Oak, urges anyone with diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, obesity or a family history of kidney disease to participate in the virtual community panel discussion.
Said Dr. Cohen, “While the pandemic does not allow this to be an in-person forum, the virtual event will provide lots of good information about kidney disease which we hope will be helpful and beneficial to our community.”
The National Kidney Foundation of Michigan and Beaumont agree kidney disease can often be prevented through lifestyle changes and education; which includes eating right, maintaining a healthy weight and exercising. For those with kidney disease, management also includes effective medications for blood pressure, diabetes and slowing kidney diseases.
KIDNEY FACTS
- A major function of the kidney is to remove waste products and excess fluid from the body
- Each of your kidneys are about the size of your fist
- Your kidneys are located in your back, just below your rib cage
- 1 in 3 American adults are at risk for chronic kidney disease
- Diabetes and high blood pressure are the two leading causes of kidney disease
- 1 in 7 American adults have chronic kidney disease
- More than 1 million Michigan residents 20 and older have chronic kidney disease
- African Americans are four times more likely than whites, and Hispanics are nearly 1 ½ times more likely than non-Hispanics, to develop end-stage renal disease, or kidney failure
- Nearly 2,100 Michigan residents are waiting for a kidney transplant
The Nephrology Program at Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak is nationally ranked by the U.S. News & World Report. Based on objective measures for 2020-21, it ranked No. 22.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL KIDNEY FOUNDATION OF MICHIGAN
The mission of the National Kidney Foundation of Michigan is to prevent kidney disease and improve the quality of life for those living with it. The NKFM provides more programs and services to more people in Michigan than any other region or state. For the past 13 years, Charity Navigator - the nation’s leading nonprofit evaluator - has recognized the NKFM with its highest rating of 4 stars for success in sound fiscal management.
BEAUMONT’S TRANSPLANT PROGRAM
Beaumont Health’s Multi-Organ Transplantation program offers the latest technology and minimally invasive surgical techniques for kidney and liver procedures with a team comprised of highly trained surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses, technicians, kidney specialists, liver specialists, social workers, dietitians and financial consultants. The transplant team has pioneered innovations such as minimally invasive liver-directed therapy (liver tumors) and laparoscopic liver donation. Since Beaumont’s kidney transplant program began in 1972, surgical teams have helped more than 2,500 patients.