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Hawaii residents face a higher risk of developing kidney disease than their mainland counterparts and the National Kidney Foundation is offering free comprehensive screenings tomorrow at the Ala Moana Hotel.
The event runs from 8:30 a.m. to noon at the hotel’s Garden Lanai, and is being held in conjunction with World Kidney Day today. Screenings are offered to people 18 years or older who may have high blood pressure, diabetes or a family history of kidney disease.
The assessment involves a health risk appraisal, blood pressure measurement, blood and urine testing, and a chance to review results with clinicians on site.
“It’s not a diagnosis, it’s a screening and it’s free,” said Victoria Page, director of community health intitiatives for the National Kidney Foundation of Hawaii. “It’s a good way to get started. We encourage everyone to come out.”
The rate of kidney failure in Hawaii is 30 percent higher than the national average, according to the National Kidney Foundation of Hawaii. That is due in large part to the fact that Asians, Pacific Islanders and the elderly are more at risk of developing the disease.
For more information, call 589-5903.
