Kidney ‘Health Fest’ for African American families–June 5th
One in seven American adults has kidney disease.
In the African American community, the number increases four-fold.
On Saturday, June 5th, Northwest Kidney Centers will hold its 8th annual Kidney Health Fest for African American Families, featuring free health screenings, entertainment and healthy food samples made by local celebrity chefs.
The free event runs from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Van Asselt Elementary (formerly the African American Academy), 8311 Beacon Ave. S., in Seattle.
With the theme of “From Surviving to Thriving: Healthy People Healthy Communities,” this event features free health screenings and private consultations with a doctor, healthy food made by local celebrity chefs, and a discussion about healthy living with Angela Russell, KIRO 7 Eyewitness News anchor, as the emcee.
The day also includes entertainment, music, exhibits, a Kids’ Korner and a chance to win prizes. Co-hosts are Mount Zion Baptist Church and First AME Church.
Speakers include Dr. Christian S. Kuhr, director of transplantation at Virginia Mason Medical Center, and Dr. Valerie F. Hunt, community spokesperson for the Seattle Puget Sound Alliance for Lupus Research Community Walk, among others.
The Fest is a wonderful opportunity to receive essential screenings for kidney disease and other health conditions, and to confer privately with a physician about the result – all on site and at no charge.
Northwest Kidney Centers will provide these three simple tests to assess a participant’s risk of kidney disease:
- Blood pressure check
- Test for protein in a urine sample
- Test for creatinine in a blood sample
“You can learn about your own body and how to keep healthy. Getting a free screening for kidney disease could empower you to change your life for the better,” said Dr. Bessie Young, a medical director at Northwest Kidney Centers who chairs the committee of community volunteers who plan the annual event. “At the same time, the Fest is a great opportunity to come out and have some fun with neighbors and kids.”
One in seven American adults has kidney disease. In the African American community, the number increases four-fold.
Although African Americans make up 12 percent of the U.S. population, 32 percent of individuals with kidney failure are African American.
In addition, African American men are 10 to 14 times more likely to develop kidney failure due to high blood pressure than Caucasian men in the same age group.
Participants in the Kidney Health Fest will learn how to improve their lives to avoid kidney disease.
This includes:
- Treating high blood pressure and diabetes, two of the leading causes of kidney failure.
- Quitting smoking.
- Eating a low-salt, low-fat diet. Obesity can lead to kidney disease.
- Exercising at least 30 minutes a day, five days a week.
- Avoiding the overuse of pain relievers such as ibuprofen and naproxen, which can damage kidneys.
To learn more:
Related posts:
- New director of decision support and payer relations at Northwest Kidney Centers
- Video: American families struggle to cover health-care costs
- American Lung Association cuts ties with Northwest chapter
- PATH study finds rotavirus vaccine effective in African infants
- Learn about diabetes research in the Seattle area
