World Kidney Day is observed Thursday to bring to the public's awareness the growing threat kidney diseases pose to peoples all over the world.

It was launched in 2006 through the joint initiative of the International Federation of Kidney Foundations and the International Society of Nephrology.

Various studies show that some 500 million persons worldwide, or one in 10 persons, are afflicted with some form of kidney disease. Over 1.5 million persons are kept alive through dialysis and kidney transplants. The estimated overall cost of kidney therapy is about one billion dollars every year.

"Kidney Disease: Common, Harmful, Treatable" is the theme for this year's observance of World Kidney Day. The theme highlights the message that early detection and prevention are important in controlling kidney diseases.

Those interested in finding out the life-sustaining functions their kidneys perform every day or discovering if they might be at risk for kidney disease can visit the U.S. National Kidney Foundation's Web site at www.kidney.org.

One of the awareness-promoting items on the site is a kidney quiz that tests a person's knowledge of the prevalence, causes and risk factors of chronic kidney disease in the United States. The quiz encourages those who do not yet have kidney disease to drink plenty of water, monitor and maintain their blood pressure and eat in a healthy way.

A special diet is especially important for patients diagnosed with kidney failure or decreased kidney function, said renal dietitian Janie Kane of DaVita Dialysis. It is her job to counsel people on dialysis to ensure that they are not eating foods filled with the substances their kidneys are no longer able to process and eliminate from their bodies.

"So much of how well they do has to do with what they're eating," Kane said.

Because protein is lost from the body during dialysis, she instructed her patients to eat plenty of protein-rich foods.

Some of the substances Kane instructed her patients to avoid are potassium and phosphorus, which can be especially difficult to monitor. Phosphorus can cause horrible complications in a person whose kidneys aren't filtering it out of the body, Kane said.

A healthy diet, while crucial for dialysis patients, also is important in keeping two major kidney disease risk factors, high blood pressure and diabetes, in check.

(Agencies/Xinhua March 14, 2008)