The TRUST’s CKD Screening Program Provides an Early Warning for Those at Risk for Kidney Disease

CKD screening is quick and easy.

The TRUST’s rapid-screening program identifies individuals who have signs of kidney impairment.  We screened approximately 8,400 people in 2012 and more than 30,000 since the program began — 12% of those screened showed signs of CKD and were counseled to see their doctors.

“Looking at screening results for 2012 we can see that our efforts are having an impact,” said Gloria Upchurch, the TRUST’s CKD Screening Program Manager.  “Of the 8,400 people screened, 15 were potentially already in kidney failure at the time we saw them; 28 showed a severe decrease in kidney function; and 998 showed a moderate decrease.  These are all people who we urged go to their doctor for follow-up.”

CKD is a silent killer — many people without symptoms have low kidney function and are at risk of kidney failure.  If your kidneys fail, the only treatment is dialysis — an intense, expensive, time-consuming procedure — or a kidney transplant.  In the U.S. alone, there are more than 550,000 dialysis patients and 95,000 on the kidney transplant waiting list.  With fewer than 20,000 transplants performed a year, many will not receive a life-saving transplant in time.

But there is hope.  In many cases, CKD is a preventable disease.  Early detection and treatment can slow and even prevent progression to kidney failure.  This is where the TRUST’s CKD screening program comes in.  The TRUST has been traveling around the U.S., participating in health fairs and providing free screening to at-risk individuals.  Please contact Gloria at for more information about the TRUST’s screening program.