Chef Aaron McCargo, Jr. Tested for Kidney Disease During National Kidney Month
McCargo
Joins Fresenius Medical Care to Urge Those at Risk to Schedule a Quick, Easy
Screening for Chronic Kidney Disease
WALTHAM,
Mass. – March 17, 2014 – Chef Aaron McCargo, Jr.
has met a lot of people with kidney failure in recent years, while working with
Fresenius Medical Care North America (FMCNA) to develop and share recipes and
healthy cooking tips for people on dialysis. But until recently, he’d never
been tested for chronic kidney disease (CKD), a progressive loss of kidney
function that can take place over a period of months or years.
McCargo knows, however, that as an African
American, his risk of developing CKD is higher than average. This increased
risk is linked directly to higher rates of diabetes and high blood pressure for
African Americans, the two leading causes of kidney disease. So in preparation
for National Kidney Month this March, he asked his family doctor for a CKD test
as part of his regular checkup.
It took less than two minutes for a nurse to
draw a small amount of blood from his arm, he recalls, and “before you know it,
I was on my way with a Band-Aid.” The next day, he learned that his blood
levels of urea, creatinine and other waste products were normal, as was his
glomerular filtration rate (GFR), which indicated his kidneys were healthy.
“I’m doing a lot better than I thought,”
says McCargo, host of Food Network’s “Big Daddy’s House” cooking show. While
relieved to hear that his own kidneys are in good shape, he strongly encourages
others – especially high-risk individuals with diabetes or high blood pressure
– to be regularly screened for CKD.
More than 26 million Americans have CKD,
which often goes undiagnosed in its initial stages when many people do not have
symptoms. It’s important to detect the disease as early as possible, since
early treatment with medication, exercise and diet changes may be able to slow
its progression. Once the disease progresses to kidney failure, the only
options for survival are dialysis treatments or a kidney transplant.
“We appreciate Chef McCargo’s efforts to
raise awareness about CKD testing during this year’s National Kidney Month,”
says Dr. Dugan W. Maddux, vice president of Kidney Disease Initiatives at
FMCNA. “As his experience shows, getting screened for CKD is fast and easy, and
for some people, it may literally save their lives.”
For more information about kidney disease
and its treatments, visit FMCNA’s website at www.ultracare-dialysis.com; if you
or a family member are at risk for CKD, please schedule a doctor’s visit and
get screened.
About
Fresenius Medical Care North America
Through our leading network of more than
2,150 dialysis facilities in North America and our vascular access centers,
laboratory, pharmacy and affiliated hospitals and nephrology practices,
Fresenius Medical Care provides renal services to hundreds of thousands of
people throughout the United States, Mexico and Canada. We are also the
continent’s top producer of dialysis equipment, dialyzers and related
disposable products and a major supplier of renal pharmaceuticals.
For
more information about the company, visit www.fmcna.com.
About
Chef Aaron McCargo, Jr.