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Brief Description:

The National Kidney Disease Education Program has created an educational brochure tailored specifically for African Americans at risk for kidney disease.

Transcript:

AKINSO: The National Kidney Disease Education Program has created an educational brochure tailored specifically for African Americans at risk for kidney disease. The brochure-Kidney Disease: What African Americans Need to Know-explains the connection between diabetes, high blood pressure, and kidney disease, and encourages those at risk to talk to their health care providers about getting tested. African Americans are disproportionately affected by kidney failure due in part to higher rates of diabetes and high blood pressure-the two leading causes of kidney failure. Dr. Andrew Narva, Director of the NKDEP, talks about what the brochure has to offer.

NARVA: The brochure explains the reasons for being screened—who's at risk which includes people with diabetes, high blood pressure, family member with kidney disease or heart disease. And it explains how screening is done which includes two relatively simple tests, a blood test and a urine test.

AKINSO: In developing the brochure, NKDEP worked with health care professionals who routinely care for African American patients at risk for kidney disease. The NKDEP is an initiative of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. For more information about the brochure and other NKDEP materials, visit www.nkdep.nih.gov or call 1-866-454-3639. This is Wally Akinso at the National Institutes of Health Bethesda, Maryland.