The National Kidney Foundation of Illinois is teaming up with Sarah Bush Lincoln to provide a free kidney and health screening from 10 am to 2 pm on Friday, March 15, for all community members. The screening will be held in the Rush and Salk Rooms of the SBL Lumpkin Education Center.
Anyone interested in getting screened for kidney disease, high blood pressure or diabetes is encouraged to attend. There is no cost to be screened, and appointments are not necessary.
To pre-register for the screening, visit mobilescreening.nkfi.org/preregistration, and complete the questionnaire prior to screening. Walk-ins are welcome, and you must be 18 years old or older to participate.
The screening will measure blood pressure, blood sugar, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, and will conduct a urinalysis and, if necessary, a blood draw. Fasting is not required, but a urine sample will be required.
The screening will be offered by the National Kidney Foundation of Illinois’ KidneyMobile®, the nation’s only custom mobile unit that travels across the state screening individuals for kidney disease and its two main causes: Diabetes and high blood pressure.
In addition to a free screening, attendees will also be able to talk privately with a nurse or doctor about their results.
Each year, kidney disease kills more people than breast or prostate cancer, but many people do not know the risk factors and tests that could help them stave off kidney disease. Because kidney disease often develops slowly with few symptoms, it can frequently go undetected until it is very advanced. Simple steps such as controlling blood pressure and blood sugar, keeping weight down, exercising regularly, quitting smoking and avoiding excessive use of pain medicine, can help reduce risk.
“One in three American adults is at risk for kidney disease, while one in seven already have the disease,” Jacqueline Burgess-Bishop, Chief Executive Officer of the National Kidney Foundation of Illinois, said. “That means hundreds of thousands of people in Illinois are affected. Our goal is to educate the community about the risks for kidney disease and detect it early so that they can manage the disease and slow its progression.”
For more information, call the National Kidney Foundation of Illinois at 312-321-1500, or visit www.nkfi.org.