Kidney Disease Prevention and Facts

• American Diabetes Association The mission of the organization is to prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes. The American Diabetes Association is the nation's leading nonprofit health organization providing diabetes research, information and advocacy. Founded in 1940, the American Diabetes Association conducts programs in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, reaching more than 800 communities.
  
  
• Kidney Wise A community website designed to provide kidney patients, their caregivers and families with the support they may need through life's ups and downs. The idea of this site is that it provides a place to socialize, find information about living with kidney failure and to contribute to research about kidney failure.
  
  
• Kidney School is an interactive, web-based learning program in 20-minute modules. It was designed to help people learn what they need to know to understand kidney disease and its treatment, adjust to kidney disease, make good medical choices, and live as fully as possible. You decide which modules to visit and when, so what you learn is entirely up to you.
  
  
• The National Kidney Foundation, Inc., a major voluntary health organization, seeks to prevent kidney and urinary tract diseases, improve the health and well-being of individuals and families affected by these diseases, and increase the availability of all organs for transplantation. The National Kidney Foundation of Michigan has numerous resources available as does the District of Columbia affiliate.
  
  
• The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) created the National Kidney Disease Education Program (NKDEP) to close the gap between evidence and practice.

  Working through a Steering Committee, Work Groups and private and public partners, NKDEP aims to reduce morbidity and mortality from kidney disease by raising awareness about the seriousness of the problem and the importance of prevention, early diagnosis, and appropriate management.

  Each year, hundreds of thousands of families reconnect with their extended family members. With the reality that diabetes and high blood pressure often run in families, what a fitting opportunity to make family members with these conditions aware of their risk for kidney disease and to encourage them to get tested.

• NKUDIC The National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NKUDIC) is an information dissemination service of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). The NIDDK is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), one of eight health agencies of the Public Health Service, which is under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
  
  
• World Kidney Day Kidney disease is a "disease multiplier." It causes death in many people with diabetes and hypertension and predicts the development of a cardiovascular event. Abnormalities in kidney function often represent an early window into the state of the general vascular system. This window facilitates early disease detection before patients develop the more devastating problems such as stroke, peripheral vascular disease, coronary heart disease and kidney failure. This new information now demands that the kidney assumes a central role in global health and prevention efforts because increased awareness of kidney disease has the immediate potential to dramatically reduce the growing burden of deaths and disability from chronic cardiovascular disease worldwide."

Comprehensive List of Kidney Resources

• DaVita provides dialysis services for those diagnosed with chronic kidney failure, a condition also known as chronic kidney disease (CKD). There are interactive learning activities including a kidney quiz and views of how the kidney works and dialysis. Go to Davita to visit.
  
  
• NOAH (New York Online Access to Health) NOAH provides access to high quality full-text consumer health information in English and Spanish that is accurate, timely, relevant and unbiased. Go to NOAH to visit.
  
  

Chronic Disease Risk Factor Control

• Healthy People 2010  Healthy People 2010 has two goals: The first goal of Healthy People 2010 is to help individuals of all ages increase life expectancy and improve their quality of life. The second goal of Healthy People 2010 is to eliminate health disparities among different segments of the population.
  
  
• State-Based Physical Activity Program  The DNPA State-based Physical Activity Program Directory site provides information about physical activity programs involving state departments of health. Use this site to research programs, gather ideas, and share information.
  
  
• Ethnic Medical Information  The EthnoMed site contains information about cultural beliefs, medical issues and other related issues pertinent to the health care of recent immigrants to Seattle or the US, many of whom are refugees fleeing war-torn parts of the world. Health information in multiple languages.
  
  
• Alcohol Prevention Website  The Cool Spot uses engaging games and graphics to deliver important messages about the risks of underage drinking and ways to resist peer pressure. "Reality Check" quizzes kids about how much drinking is really going on in the U.S. "Deep Digging" depicts why using alcohol as a solution to problems, or a way of trying to cope, is trouble. "Peer Pressure Bag of Tricks" presents animated scenes that invite kids to identify some common peer pressure "tricks." It also lets kids know that spotting these tricks is the first step to resisting them. "Know your No's", introduces kids to a variety of ways to say no and helps them learn which one is the most effective.
  
  
• National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism  National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, conducts and supports approximately 90 percent of the U.S. research on the causes, consequences, prevention, and treatment of alcohol abuse, alcoholism, and alcohol problems and disseminates research findings to general, professional, and academic audiences.
  
  
• "Cigarettes: What the Warning Label Doesn't Tell You, Information Tobacco Companies Don't Want Teens to Know About the Dangers of Smoking."  The book describes what teens should understand about the extensive hazards of smoking. Some teens may know about lung cancer and emphysema, but most don't recognize the numerous other diseases and conditions smoking causes - from decreased physical fitness and fertility to an increased risk of respiratory infections, surgical complications, loss of vision, and multiple sclerosis.
  
  
• Northwest Media Literacy Center   "How are images constructed? How does this construct shape perception, build desire and/or discontent, and develop stimulus addiction, the need to have more media hits. We address violence, body image and health issues, over consumption and environmental issues, globalization, corporate invasion of the schools, sexuality, brain development, creativity, and addiction. The goal of media literacy is to empower ourselves so that we convert a passive relationship with media into an active and imaginative reclaiming of our stories and our personal culture."
  
  
• American Dietetic Association  With nearly 70,000 members, the American Dietetic Association is the nation's largest organization of food and nutrition professionals. ADA serves the public by promoting optimal nutrition, health and well-being.”
  
  
• We Can!  (Ways to Enhance Children's Activity & Nutrition) is a national program designed as a one-stop resource for parents and caregivers interested in practical tools to help children 8-13 years old stay at a healthy weight. Tips and fun activities focus on three critical behaviors: improved food choices, increased physical activity and reduced screen time.
  
  
• Healthfinder  Your guide to reliable health information, A Service of the National Health Information Center, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
  
  
• Healthier U.S.Gov  Healthier U.S. Gov, A source of credible, accurate information to help Americans choose to live healthier lives.
  
  
• 2008 HHS Exercise Guidelines for Americans  Youth who are regularly active have a better chance of a healthy adulthood. Regular physical activity makes it less likely that these risk factors will develop and more likely that children will remain healthy as adults. Youth can achieve substantial health benefits by doing moderate- and vigorous-intensity physical activity for periods of time that add up to 60 minutes (1 hour) or more each day. This activity should include aerobic activity as well as age-appropriate muscle- and bone-strengthening activities.

Statistics

• Data Resource Center  The Data Resource Center for Child and Adolescent Health provides online access to survey data that allows users to compare state, regional, and nationwide results, plus resources and personalized assistance for interpreting and reporting findings.
  
  
• Population Research Center  The Population Research Center includes the Oregon State Data Center, the Oregon Population Estimates and Projections Program, and various population research projects. These are an integrated set of activities located in the School of Urban Studies and Planning, College of Urban and Public Affairs, Portland State University, Portland, Oregon. Their goal is to provide ready access to census and other information on the population of Oregon and to provide timely analyses of the patterns of past, current, and projected future populations in Oregon and of the implications of such patterns for key issues facing Oregon.
  
  
• US Renal Data Systems  The United States Renal Data System (USRDS) is a national data system that collects, analyzes, and distributes information about end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in the United States.

Organ Donation

• Coalition on Donation  Founded in 1992, The Coalition on Donation is a not-for-profit alliance of National organizations and local coalitions across the United States that have joined forces to educate the public about organ and tissue donation, correct misconceptions about donation and create a greater willingness to donate.
  
  
• United Network for Organ Sharing  The UNOS Organ Center is available 24 hours a day, every day of the year, to facilitate organ sharing among transplant centers, organ procurement organizations and histocompatibility laboratories across the U.S.

Local Resources

• American Diabetes Association - Portland Metro Chapter  Located at 380 SE Spokane, Suite #110, Portland, OR, 97202. Telephone (503) 736-2770. Fax (503) 736-2774.
  
  
• Donate Life Northwest  Donate Life Northwest's mission is to save and enhance lives through the promotion of organ and tissue donation.