Are your kidneys ok?

Help us fund life-saving research Please complete this form and send it to us at: Kidney Research UK, Nene Hall, Lynch Wood Park, Peterborough PE2 6FZ.

The 5 stages of CKD Stage 1

Kidney damage with normal or high GFR This covers people with problems such as protein in the urine whose GFR is normal (90%).

Action: See ‘What can be done about CKD’ in this leaflet.

Your name including title: Address: Postcode:

Stage 2

Telephone no:

Kidney damage and mild decrease in GFR This covers people with problems such as protein in the urine whose GFR is 60-90%.

Action: See ‘What can be done about CKD’ in this leaflet.

Email: I would like to help fund life-saving research with a gift of £ Please deduct my:

Maestro/Switch card

American Express

CAF Charity card

Mastercard

Stage 3

Visa

Moderate decrease in GFR

Card Number: Expiry Date (month/year)

Issue Number (Switch only)

Direct Debit Instruction every 15th

30th of

Stage 5

month

End stage renal failure

(month)

GFR less than 15% means approaching need for dialysis.

Action: Frequent checks with your health professional.

Maybe a need to start dialysis or have a transplant.

To: The Manager (name of Bank/Building Society)

Address: Postcode: Bank or Buliding Society Number: Bank sort code:

-

-

Please pay Kidney Research UK Direct Debits from the account detailed in this Instruction subject to the safeguards assured by the Direct Debit Guarantee. I understand that this instruction may remain with Kidney Research UK and, if so, details will be passed electronically to my Bank or Building Society. Banks or Building Societies may not accept Direct Debit instructions for some types of account.

#

Signature: Date: / / Instruction to your Bank or Building Society to pay by Direct Debit:

Fact: A human kidney is the size of a conventional computer mouse.

To help us in our life-saving research, call our donation line free on: 0800 783 2973 We accept all major credit and debit cards.

www.kidneyresearchuk.org

Don’t forget to tick for Gift Aid You can make your gift worth 25% more by making a Gift Aid declaration.

Please tick the box below.

I confirm that I am a UK taxpayer and wish for Kidney Research UK to claim back the tax on all personal donations made in the last four years as well as all future donations until I notify you otherwise. I have paid and will continue to pay an amount of Income and/or Capital Gains Tax that is at least equal the tax amount that will be reclaimed on any donations I have made to charities and/or CASCs* in the relevant tax year (6 April one year to 5 April the next).

Tick here Date: JUN2013

NB: Other taxes such as VAT and Council Tax are not eligible under the Gift Aid scheme. This declaration can be cancelled at any time by notifying the charities and/or CASCs. *Community Amateur Sports Clubs.

We may wish to use your information to contact you in the future about Kidney Research UK’s activities, including fundraising. If you would not like to receive these communications please write to us at the address above.

OK?

GFR 15-29% means more marked kidney changes.

Action: Frequent checks with your health professional who will explain your treatment options.

I enclose my cheque/postal order/CAF voucher payable to Kidney Research UK

year. Starting the

kidneys

Severe decrease in GFR

Signature: Date:

quarter

We operate a kidney health information service to answer the questions kidney patients inevitably have about their condition, and a range of web-based literature is available on various kidney diseases. We run joint appeals with local hospitals, to provide renal units with equipment not catered for by the NHS.

Are your

Stage 4

(the three digit number on the reverse of your card)

Please pay Kidney Research UK £

Kidney Research UK was founded in 1961 and is the leading UK charity dedicated to funding research aimed at finding better treatments, and ultimately a cure, for kidney disease.

We have around £10 million invested in research at any one time, awarding grants to doctors, nurses and researchers across the UK. We also campaign for better patient access to renal services and are dedicated to raising awareness of kidney disease.

GFR 30-59% means the kidneys are not working so well.

Action: See ‘What can be done about CKD’ in this leaflet.

Start Date (month/year) Security No.

Kidney Research UK

Would you like to know more?

T: 0845 070 7601

For more information on CKD please visit: www.kidneyresearchuk.org You could also call: 0845 300 1499 or email: kidneyhealth@kidneyresearchuk.org

Kidney Research UK, Nene Hall, Lynch Wood Park, Peterborough PE2 6FZ Registered Office: Nene Hall, Lynch Wood Park, Peterborough PE2 6FZ. Kidney Research UK is a limited company registered in England.

Registered Company No. 905963. Registered Charity No. 252892.

Registered Scottish Charity No. SC039245.

isease?

What is kidney d ptoms? m y s e h t e r a t a h W ne How does someo e it? know if they hav

What do normal kidneys do? n They filter our blood to get rid of waste products and toxins n They control the balance of fluid and minerals in the body n They secrete a range of hormones: ‘Renin’ controls blood pressure ‘Erythropoietin’ controls production of red blood cells in the bone marrow n The kidneys activate Vitamin D in the body which helps maintain healthy bones and muscles

Blood, waste and water enter here through the renal artery.

Blood without waste or excess water leaves here through the renal vein.

Excess water and toxic waste in the form of urine leaves here via the ureter.

What is chronic kidney disease (CKD)?

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a long-term condition which involves any damage or abnormality in the kidneys. It is often progressive.

At its mildest, it can be almost undetectable. However, an important minority of people go on to develop end stage renal failure, which is fatal without treatment by dialysis or a kidney transplant.

Someone with CKD is at increased risk of heart attack or stroke, especially if they smoke or are overweight.

Research suggests that over 3 million people in the UK are at risk of chronic kidney disease - and up to a million of these may be undiagnosed. The illness can affect all age groups and is extremely common in older people.

How does someone know if they have CKD?

In most cases, CKD does not cause any symptoms and is detected because tests are abnormal.

Both blood and urine tests are used to diagnose kidney disease. A blood test called eGFR (estimated glomerular filtration rate) tells roughly how well the kidneys are working as a percentage of normal. Simple urine tests sometimes show protein or blood cells. This often means an infection but it can be a sign of early kidney disease.

Am I at risk and what causes CKD?

Although anyone can develop CKD, there are a few things that can increase your risk: n Diabetes* n High blood pressure* n Cardiovascular disease n Family history of kidney disease n South Asian or African-Caribbean ethnic background Other less common causes include inflammation (glomerulonephritis) or infection (pyelonephritis). Sometimes CKD is inherited (polycystic disease) or the result of a longstanding blockage (such as enlarged prostate or kidney stones). Some drugs can cause CKD, especially certain pain-killing drugs (analgesics) if taken over a long time.

Often it isn’t possible to say what has caused the problem. * It is more common if the blood pressure or the diabetes hasn’t been as well controlled as it should be.

If you are concerned about your risk, talk to your doctor or

health care professional to see if you should be tested.

It could save your life.

!

Fact: Your kidneys are amazing, they filter around 180 litres of blood every day!

Fact: The lives of more than 3 million people in the UK are at risk of chronic kidney disease.

What are the symptoms?

In most people, mild to moderate CKD does not display any obvious symptoms. Sometimes there are none at all until a few weeks before dialysis is needed. Symptoms that can occur in later stages are: n Feeling tired n Difficulty concentrating n Itchy skin n Breathless on exertion n Poor appetite and weight loss n Feeling sick

Living with kidney disease DVDs Our range of DVDs have been developed through collaborative partnerships. These focus on giving practical information that enables individuals with kidney disease to have a better quality of life through informed choice.

The DVDs currently available in the living with kidney disease series are:

Module one - The reality check* Module two - End stage renal failure Module three - The reality check for the African-Caribbean communities Prices start from £1.25** (The DVDs for Modules 1 and 2 have subtitles in English and audio in English, Bengali, Gujurati, Urdu and Punjabi).

What can be done about CKD? What can I do to help myself? n Regular blood and urine tests n Take regular exercise n Keep weight down n Avoid excess salt and alcohol n Don’t smoke

How can your doctor help? n Careful blood pressure control n Careful diabetes control n Check cholesterol n May adjust dosages of certain medicines

If you would like to purchase any of our kidney health DVDs or would like further information, please visit our online shop at:

www.kidneyresearchuk.org You can purchase bulk orders of the DVDs over the phone by calling: 01227 811 671 or by emailing:

kidneyhealth@kidneyresearchuk.org Keep an eye out for our imminent fourth module of living with kidney disease which interviews a number patients about their experiences on different types of dialysis - available end of 2013. *A Welsh version of Module 1 is also available by emailing: kidneyhealth@kidneyresearchuk.org ** Price includes postage, packing and VAT.

Remember all this is designed to protect the heart and circulation as well as the kidneys.

Why are blood tests important?

CKD is a ‘silent’ disease because it displays few symptoms at early stages. However, if CKD is caught early, medications and lifestyle changes can slow its progress and even stop or reverse CKD, depending on its cause.

Still worried?

Take our kidney health check, please visit:

www.kidneyresearchuk.org

Fact: An Asian person with diabetes is TEN times more likely to develop kidney failure then their Caucasian counterpart with diabetes.