As part of its mission of early detection and early intervention, NKF-MD will provide outreach and 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 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.

Overall, kidney disease affects 26 million people – that’s one in nine Marylanders. One in three American adults – 73 million people – are at risk for kidney disease, and the risk increases to one in two over the course of a lifetime. Most people affected do not realize it until the condition has progressed.

For details about this event or NKF-MD’s other outreach events and kidney screenings, 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.