MANILA, Philippines, March 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Baxter Asia Pacific (Baxter), a global leader in dialysis care, has launched the Know Your Score campaign across Asia Pacific (APAC) on World Kidney Day.
Know Your Score aims to educate the public on their kidney score[1] as a gauge of their kidney health, reinforcing the idea that "knowing your score can save your life". The score is measured through the Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR) test, a simple blood test that quantifies kidney health. This simple number – like cholesterol and blood pressure measurements – indicates if a patient needs further check-ups and helps to prevent disease progression.
Dr. Donnah De Leon, Active Nephrologist Consultant and Peritoneal Dialysis Unit Head at National Kidney and Transplant Institute, said: "Kidney Disease is a silent killer. You will never know that you have it because you remain asymptomatic until before your kidneys finally fail. This can get even worse over time until the doctor suddenly says that you will need either dialysis or kidney transplant. Early detection and appropriate treatment may improve prognosis. So, before the bomb starts ticking, let's do the GFR scoring."
Know Your Score emphasizes the need for routine testing to detect and prevent Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), especially among those who are suffering from hypertension and /or diabetes. It also encourages the public to learn more about kidney scores and lifestyle tips to prevent kidney disease, by visiting My Kidney Journey, a dedicated website providing information about the kidney health and CKD care.
Chronic Kidney Disease is on the rise in Asia Pacific and continues to be a major public health problem. The Department of Health (DOH) identified kidney diseases as one of the top ten causes of mortality in the Philippines. The burden of kidney diseases has, in fact, taken a toll on millions of Filipinos over the years. According to DOH, one Filipino dies every hour from kidney failure.
Nino Torres, a CKD patient who has been on peritoneal dialysis for almost 4 years, said: "Early detection is extremely important to prevent and delay kidney disease progression. It is important to consult your doctors for any symptoms and seek for advice on how to best address your current kidney health issues. It is important to know your GFR score because it measures the current state of your kidney health. Aside from having a healthy lifestyle, it will also help to track your GFR scoring. Don't think twice, consult your doctor for any symptoms and know your GFR scoring. All these efforts helped me to save my own life!"
"Baxter is committed to reduce the occurrence of CKD through raising awareness of early testing. As we mark World Kidney Day across the globe, Baxter emphasises early testing, as knowing your score can be lifesaving. Patients diagnosed early can adapt their lifestyle and learn to manage their condition, thus avoiding or postponing the need for dialysis or transplant. Today we reiterate our commitment to collaborating with physicians across the entire continuum of care, from prevention and early detection of CKD to kidney failure care," said Dhananjay Rajore, Commercial Director, Baxter Philippines and Myanmar.
Find out more about Know Your Score here: https://apac.mykidneyjourney.com/fil/world-kidney-day / https://apac.mykidneyjourney.com/en-PH/world-kidney-day
It is available to the general public in ten countries and eight different languages across APAC.
| [1] A kidney score of over 90 indicates a healthy and normal kidney. A score between 60-89 means intervention is needed to prevent further kidney damage. When a score falls to less than 60 under a three-month period, it is an indicator of CKD. |
About Baxter
Every day, millions of patients and caregivers rely on Baxter's leading portfolio of critical care, nutrition, renal, hospital and surgical products. For nine decades, we've been operating at the critical intersection where innovations that save and sustain lives meet the healthcare providers that make it happen. With products, technologies and therapies available in more than 100 countries, Baxter's employees worldwide are now building upon the company's rich heritage of medical breakthroughs to advance the next generation of transformative healthcare innovations.
