The National Kidney Foundation has partnered with Bayer to launch and run the “Are You the 33%?” campaign, which intends to raise awareness about the heightened risk of chronic kidney disease faced by those with type 2 diabetes. Recently, award-winning actress Debbie Allen has joined their efforts to launch the newest portion of the campaign.
Are You the 33%?
The name of this campaign refers to the one of every three type 2 diabetes patients who go on to develop chronic kidney disease (CKD). The goal is to spur conversation with healthcare professionals so that patients fully understand the risk they face. When this dialogue begins, it allows for early diagnosis and treatment, which then leads to better outcomes. Debbie and the other members of the campaign have been pushing patients to visit this website to take a quick and easy test to assess the risk.
Debbie’s Story
Debbie Allen joined forces with Bayer and the NKF due to her personal connection to diabetes and CKD. She has many family members affected by diabetes, so she already knew that she had to take preventative steps. While she led a healthy lifestyle and paid attention to her diet, she was still recently diagnosed with pre-diabetes.
Knowing that diabetes places her at an increased risk of CKD, Debbie wanted to not only find actionable steps to take herself, but she wanted to provide others with those same steps. Upon partnering with the NKF and Bayer, she discovered that getting testing for CKD is the best thing one can do. Blood and urine tests are easy to conduct, and they provide the best chance of early detection. As CKD can lead to complications that require dialysis or a kidney transplant, it is best to diagnose and treat this condition as early as possible.
About Chronic Kidney Disease
Chronic kidney disease occurs when there is lasting damage to the kidneys that progresses with time. The kidneys are unable to function properly, meaning that they cannot filter waste out of the blood. This leads to an accumulation of waste, which in turn results in symptoms and complications. Affected individuals may experience fatigue, weakness, jaundice, an enlarged spleen and/or liver, high blood pressure, stunted growth, persistent itching, shortness of breath, swelling, muscle cramps, nausea, changes in urination, and sleep issues, among others.
There are a number of causes for CKD, such as type 1 or 2 diabetes, polycystic kidney disease, recurrent kidney infections, high blood pressure, interstitial nephritis, prolonged obstruction of the urinary tract, glomerulonephritis, and vesicoureteral reflex. In terms of treatment, doctors aim to slow disease progression, treat symptoms, and reduce complications. They may prescribe diuretics, cholesterol medications, anemia medications, high blood pressure medications, and vitamins. In severe cases, dialysis and a kidney transplant may be necessary.
Looking Forward
In the end, the goal of this campaign is to spark open conversations with doctors about CKD and to allow for early diagnosis and intervention. With Debbie Allen’s help, the National Kidney Foundation and Bayer hope to reach millions throughout the country.
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