Public urged to up their knowledge of risks during Kidney Health Month

By ANNA SMITH Local Journalism Initiative on March 14, 2025.

asmith@medicinehatnews.com

March is Kidney Health Month, and in honour of World Kidney Day on Thursday, the the Kidney Foundation of Canada’s southern Alberta branch encouraged residents to take some time to learn their personal risk factors.

The theme for this year’s World Kidney Day was, “Are Your Kidneys OK? Detect early, protect kidney health,” and with it, the foundation promoted its 10-minute risk awareness quiz.

“We encourage Canadians to take 10 minutes out of their day on World Kidney Day to answer 10 simple questions about their health and lifestyle,” said Elizabeth Myles, national executive director of the Kidney Foundation of Canada. “As people answer the quiz, they will learn more about what could cause kidney disease. It can help them understand if they are at higher risk and if they should be seeing a doctor or other healthcare provider to get tested.”

With these factors identified, any present kidney disease can be detected with a blood or urine test, which is vital, as kidney failure cannot be reversed.

“Catching kidney disease early and getting treatment can slow or halt its progression,” said Myles. “Because there are often no symptoms until kidney disease is quite advanced, many people aren’t aware that they have the disease until they’ve already lost most of their kidney function.”

Known risk factors include diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, obesity or a family history of kidney disease, and people with these factors should have their kidney health checked regularly.

In Canada, one in 10 people are affected by kidney disease, which is more than 4 million Canadians, said the Kidney Foundation.

According to World Kidney Day statistics, “Chronic kidney disease is estimated to affect approximately 850 million people worldwide. If left undetected and not treated in a timely fashion, CKD can progress to kidney failure, leading to severe complications and premature mortality. By 2040, CKD is projected to become the fifth leading cause of years of life lost, highlighting the urgent need for global strategies to combat kidney disease.”

To help with this, Alberta Healthy Living Program is partnering with the Kidney Foundation’s southern Alberta branch to offer residents a chance to join a registered nurse to explore how kidneys function, what causes CKD, the associated risk factors and strategies to maintain kidney health.

The class will be held online through Zoom on Wednesday, March 26 from 1-3 p.m. To attend, register online at albertahealthservices.ca, or by calling 1-844-527-1160.

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