EDITORIAL
Better to get tested than risk kidney failure

Nearly 20 million Americans are believed to have chronic kidney disease, yet many are unaware of their condition because the symptoms typically don't show up until the advanced stages, according to the National Kidney Foundation.

A new study by the foundation says people in Hawai'i are 30 percent more likely to have kidney failure than the national average. Asians, Pacific Islanders, African Americans, Hispanics, the elderly and those with diabetes are at greater risk of kidney disease.

Right now, some 1,500 Hawai'i residents undergo kidney dialysis, a process in which a machine filters the blood.

Such alarming statistics can trigger a sense of helplessness, or they can spur people to take the early detection route and get screened.

We recommend the latter. In the long run, it's a lot less expensive and painful.

So we encourage those at risk to take advantage of free kidney screenings around the state, or to ask their physician for tests that measure creatinine, a waste product normally cleared by the kidneys, and other indicators.

The kidneys serve the important function of filtering the bloodstream of wastes, which combine with water to form urine. When they fail, those wastes build up in the body and can cause death unless a person undergoes dialysis or gets a kidney transplant.

For information on screenings or for a free test kit, call 593-1515 or visit www.kidneyhi.org.