The purpose of World Kidney Day is to raise awareness about the important role our kidneys play in our health and well-being and to spread the message that kidney disease is common, harmful and treatable.

The main job of our kidneys is to remove toxins and excess water from our blood, in addition to helping control our blood pressure, producing red blood cells and keeping our bones healthy. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) occurs when kidneys gradually lose their ability to perform these functions and it is often a silent disease that goes unnoticed because it may not be “felt.” Yet it affects many more people than you may imagine: studies of different races living on different continents worldwide have consistently shown that about 1 out of 10 adults has some form of kidney damage.

Fortunately, CKD can be detected early on and Beckman Coulter has been a part of the solution for years. Beckman Coulter offers specialized laboratory instruments such as Glucose, BUN and Creatinine Analyzers, as well as a host of assays to help determine kidney function, such as Albumin, BUN, Calcium ISE, Creatinine, Glucose, Microalbumin and Phosphorus. In addition, Beckman Coulter played an important role in the United States’ National Kidney Disease Education Program’s efforts to standardize creatinine measurement, a huge leap forward in contributing to more efficient detection and treatment of CKD.

World Kidney Day is a joint initiative of the International Society of Nephrology and the International Federation of Kidney Foundations. Launched for the first time in 2006, it is held the second Thursday of March. Last year, World Kidney Day was celebrated in 66 countries.

For more information about World Kidney Day, visit http://www.worldkidneyday.org.

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