How a Denver Woman Has Protected Her Kidney Health

When Crystal Meyer participated in The Kidney TRUST’s screening program in March of 2008 at a company health fair in Denver, she was only doing so to keep a friend company. At 26 years old and in good health she didn’t think that she had anything to worry about when it came to kidney disease. When she learned later that day that her eGFR result was less than 60, indicating that she had a moderate decrease in kidney function, she was shocked: “I had no idea that it would be a problem,” Crystal said.

As a business analyst for DaVita, Inc., one of the leading providers of kidney care in the U.S., Crystal knew more than most about kidney disease, but she didn’t dream that she could be affected. According to Crystal, “It was a real wake-up call to me. I went to the doctor soon after I got the test result and was told that I needed to cut down on my salt intake, get more exercise, and eat a healthier diet. I changed my diet, started working out three times a week, and lost about 20 pounds.”
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By mid-July 2009, The Kidney TRUST will have administered the 10,000th screen in its innovative Chronic Kidney Disease (“CKD”) rapid-screening program, which was launched in October 2007.

The screening program has benefited individuals like Gilberto Heredia, who participated in a community-based CKD screening event in a small town in southeastern Texas earlier this year. Gilberto has had his diabetes under control for many years, but didn’t realize that diabetes was a significant risk factor for kidney disease.

When his screening results came back with an eGFR under 60, he was advised to seek medical advice. Gilberto saw his doctor for the first time in over a year and his medical team is now focused on his kidney health as well as his diabetes. Gilberto said, “I’m very grateful to The Kidney TRUST for making me aware of the threat to my kidneys and following up with me several times after the screening to make sure that I received the proper care.”
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Including Questions You Can Ask Your Doctor

Diabetes and high blood pressure increase your risk of kidney disease. People with diabetes are three times more likely to have high blood pressure than someone without diabetes. You can lower your risk for kidney disease by controlling your diabetes, blood pressure, and by maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney disease in the U.S, accounting for almost half of all new cases. Diabetes damages the small blood vessels of the kidney which can lead to loss of function. These blood vessel changes can also affect the skin, nerves, muscles, intestines, and the heart.

Treatment should begin early and includes controlling diabetes to slow the advance to kidney failure:

• Maintain blood sugar and blood pressure within a healthy range
• Regular testing
  • Microalbumin, protein found in the urine
  • Glomerular filtration rate (GFR), a measure of kidney function

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