Stemming the growing tide of CKD starts first with acknowledging the breadth of the problem. CKD is not a “single disease”. By recognizing the underlying factors and associated diseases, we re-think CKD – and it becomes the CKD Chain.
True prevention will only occur when we focus on the root causes. KidneyWise does this with two programs: WiseCommunities - Address the underlying determinates that start the CKD Chain. Our community-based, participatory research program - WiseCommunities – is a long term strategy for modifying behaviors and building social capital in families and communities to stop the CKD Chain in its tracks. Healthsourcing® - Combine people and organizations into a collaborative and powerful “Crowd” focused on identifying the challenges and solutions that will break the CKD Chain – then support them with technology in order to amplify their efforts. Combine this with the wisdom of WiseCommunities? We call it Healthsourcing®.
Chronic Kidney Disease is defined by the presence of kidney damage and decreased kidney function. Redefining prevention is a collaborative effort because: • The body uses food for energy and self-repairs. After the body has taken what it needs from food, wastes are sent to the blood. If the kidneys did not remove them (through urination), these wastes would build up in the blood and damage the body • People with two healthy kidneys have 100 percent of their kidney function. Serious health issues occur when people have less than 25 percent of their kidney function • Because a person can have kidney disease without any symptoms, a doctor may first detect the condition through routine blood and urine tests • Three simple tests to screen for kidney disease are: a blood pressure measurement, a spot check for protein or albumin in the urine, a calculation of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) based on a serum creatinine measurement.
About the Kidneys
What are we up against?