March 8, 2007

March 8th is World Kidney Day; an internationally recognized day to raise awareness of chronic kidney disease.

Experts call this disease a silent killer because when it goes undetected the symptoms don't show up until its too late.

UVA Health System and the National Kidney Foundation held free kidney screenings in the city to encourage the community to take action over their health.

“Kidney disease is an epidemic throughout the world right now. One out of every nine adult Americans has kidney disease and the vast majority of them do not know, because the illness does not give symptoms of signs up until very late,” said Dr. Rasheed Balogun, a Nephrologist and Professor at UVA.

In just a matter of hours three people in our area that showed up for the screenings tested positive for signs of kidney disease.

Health experts recommend going to your physician to get tested.