|
|
|
The Danger of the "Model Minority"
Myth
By Phung Tran, National Kidney Foundation
It’s bad enough that finals will soon be underway.
This means your full night sleep will turn into an eight-hour study session
and your three square meals will consist of Coco Puffs, Pop Tarts, and
cold pizzas. But here’s another concern to add to your plate: chronic
kidney disease.
Asian Americans are one of the highest risk groups to develop chronic
kidney disease, according to the National Kidney Foundation (NKF). If
left unchecked, this can result in kidney failure, a condition only treated
with regular dialysis treatments or a transplant. By the end of 2003,
there will be nearly four thousand Asian Americans on the national transplant
list. Sadly, more than 130 Asian kidney patients will die while waiting
for an organ donor.
Some warning signs of chronic kidney disease include fatigue, poor appetite,
trouble sleeping, swollen feet or ankles and the need to urinate more
often, especially at night.
Be aware that you or your family members could be at increased risk for
chronic kidney disease if you have:
· Diabetes or a family history of diabetes
· High blood pressure or a family
history high blood pressure
· Anemia
· Overweight
· Smoking
· Heavy alcoholic drinking
But there is hope to stomp out this terrible silent killer. The National
Kidney Foundation urges each Asian American to ask their doctor for three
routine tests: blood pressure measurement, blood and urine tests. Abnormal
values for these tests may be early warnings signs of kidney disease.
Progression may be delayed or prevented through lifestyle changes and
medication.
These findings and more were presented in the NKF Kidney Disease Outcomes
Quality Initiative (K/DOQI) clinical practice guidelines, which are designed
to help physicians diagnose kidney disease earlier and more easily than
ever before. Twenty million Americans have kidney disease and millions
more at risk, but most don’t even know it. To order a free brochure
on chronic kidney disease or for more information, contact the National
Kidney Foundation at (800) 622-9010 or visit www.kidney.org.
|
|
|
