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Kidney Health Month

Every March, we run special campaigns to raise awareness about kidney health, kidney disease prevention, and early diagnosis of kidney disease.
Kidney Health Check


Available in English, Chinese (中文) and Punjabi (ਪੰਜਾਬੀ)
This short quiz is a self-assessment tool to help you determine if you should see a doctor.


Could you be the 1 in 10?

This is our campaign connected to our KidneyHealthCheck.ca site with objectives of:

  • raising awareness about kidney disease risk factors
  • directing people to complete our kidney health check quiz, which helps you learn if you should visit a family doctor and potentially get a simple blood test.

We're sharing this campaign on:

  • Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram
  • Chinese and South Asian online news sites
  • Spotify
  • Lower Mainland transit!

Unless you've been diagnosed with kidney disease, you probably haven't given much thought to your kidneys. You may not know that kidney health is closely related to heart health, and that your life depends on your kidneys. If they were to fail, you would need regular dialysis treatments or a kidney transplant to survive.

In BC an estimated one in 10 people have some level of kidney disease, but most don't even know it. Over 90 percent of people with early-stage kidney disease have no symptoms. Without diagnosis and treatment, this means their kidney health can gradually deteriorate over time until their kidneys no longer function properly.


Reduce your chances of developing kidney disease by adopting a kidney/heart smart diet and following tips from the posters below:

If you have high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease or a family history of kidney disease, you may be at risk of kidney disease. In fact, up to 40 percent of people with diabetes and 35 percent with heart disease also have some level of kidney disease. As well, people of Asian, Aboriginal, African and South Asian descent are at increased risk.

 

If kidney disease is diagnosed early, its progression can often be slowed and sometimes stopped through medication and changes to lifestyle and diet. 


If you are in one of the risk categories listed above, talk to a family doctor about assessing your kidney health with a quick and easy blood test.

You can also find out more about your risk level for kidney disease by completing our kidney health check quiz.


Myth vs. Reality

Myths vs. Reality

Our Myth vs. Reality campaign covers four key myths and realities, including encouraging information such as, "If diagnosed early, many people are able to slow the course of the disease with the support of their kidney care team. This includes taking medication, eating a healthy diet and getting regular exercise."

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REALITY: Kidney disease is a “silent” disease, with virtually no symptoms in its early stages. A person can lose up to 80% of their kidney function before symptoms appear, and some symptoms - tiredness and appetite loss - can be mistaken for something less serious.

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REALITY: If diagnosed early, many people are able to slow the disease with support of their kidney care team - taking medication, eating healthily & getting regular exercise.

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REALITY: Kidney disease involves genetic and lifestyle factors, including high blood pressure and heart disease. You can reduce your risk through a healthy diet and regular exercise.

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REALITY: One in 10 Canadians has some degree of kidney disease, and it's one of the fastest growing illnesses in BC.

Take our quick kidney health quiz now! Available in English, Chinese (中文) and Punjabi (ਪੰਜਾਬੀ).


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SOURCE: Kidney Health Month ( )
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