21st Century End Stage Renal Disease and Kidney Failure Sourcebook: Clinical Data for Patients, Families, and Physicians - Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), Glomerulonephritis, Dialysis, Transplant

This comprehensive ebook provides authoritative information and practical advice from the nation's health experts about end-stage renal disease (ESRD), kidney failure, chronic kidney disease (CKD), glomerulonephritis, dialysis, and kidney transplantation.

Starting with the basics, and advancing to detailed patient-oriented and physician-quality information, the 21st Century Sourcebook series gives empowered patients, families, caregivers, nurses, and physicians the information they need to understand this disorder.

Subjects and topics covered in this huge compendium include symptoms, outlook, causes, who is at risk, diagnosis, tests and procedures, treatment, research, clinical trials, and much more.

This edition includes our exclusive Guide to Leading Medical Websites with updated links to 81 of the best sites for medical information, which let you quickly check for updates from the government and the best commercial portals, news sites, reference/textbook/non-commercial portals, and health organizations.

Contents: End Stage Renal Disease / Kidney Failure Overview * The Kidney Failure Glossary * Glomerulonephritis * An Overview Guide for Dietitians about Chronic Kidney Disease * Directory of Kidney and Urologic Diseases Organizations * Nutrition: Eating Right for Kidney Health * Medicare Coverage of Kidney Dialysis and Kidney Transplant Services * Kidney Transplantation * Kidney Transplantation Committee * Translating Chronic Kidney Disease Research into Improved Clinical Outcomes * National Kidney Disease Education Program * Kidney Sundays: A Toolkit * Clinical Trials: Chronic Kidney Failure * Guide to Leading Medical Websites

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a serious and growing public health problem in the United States. CKD is a condition in which the kidneys become damaged, decreasing their ability to filter the blood and remove water and waste products. Wastes then build up in the blood, harming the body. When kidney function decreases to less than 15 percent, a patient has kidney failure. Kidney failure that requires dialysis or kidney transplant is often referred to as end-stage renal disease (ESRD).

More than 20 million Americans aged 20 and older may have CKD, based on a decreased glomerular filtration rate (GFR), a measure of kidney function. Although CKD is common, many Americans with the key risk factors—diabetes and high blood pressure—do not know they are at risk. In addition, the rising rates of diabetes and obesity will continue to fuel its growth, as both conditions increase the risk of developing CKD and speed its progression.

Therapies exist that can significantly slow the progression of CKD to kidney failure; particularly blood pressure control and use of medications that protect kidney function—called angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs). However, many people who would benefit from treatment are not receiving it.

The number of Americans being treated for kidney failure continues to grow. Recent data show that 506,256 Americans are on dialysis or living with a kidney transplant. The incidence (new cases) of people with ESRD, however, has started to level off in recent years.