Your kidneys clean your blood and keep waste out. With kidney disease, they don't work as well as they should-they could even completely shut down. High blood pressure and diabetes are two main causes of kidney disease. Controlling your blood sugar and blood pressure will help prevent kidney disease. Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure in African Americans. African Americans tend to have kidney failure at an earlier age than Whites.

Publications

1. Eat Right to Feel Right on Hemodialysis - This publication explains what foods should be avoided and what vitamins will benefit someone on hemodialysis.

2. Financial Help for Treatment of Kidney Failure - This fact sheet briefly describes the Federal Government's insurance program that covers much of the cost of dialysis treatments and transplantation expenses. It also lists additional sources of assistance and explains the role of the nephrology social worker.

3. Kidney Failure: Choosing a Treatment That's Right for You - This booklet provides a broad overview of the treatment options for a person facing kidney failure. It introduces hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis, and kidney transplantation with a general description of each method and a list of pros and cons. It concludes with a list of resources for more information.

4. Treatment Methods for Kidney Failure: Hemodialysis - This booklet details the procedures and equipment involved in hemodialysis. It explains vascular access and discusses dietary issues. It briefly describes some of the complications of kidney failure and lists resources for additional information.

5. Treatment Methods for Kidney Failure: Peritoneal Dialysis - This booklet describes the procedures and supplies required for peritoneal dialysis (PD). It explains the differences between ambulatory and automated PD and gives instructions on how to avoid problems that can develop.

6. Treatment Methods for Kidney Failure: Transplantation - This booklet gives a step-by-step account of the transplant process from the initial medical evaluation and being placed on a waiting list to surgery, recovery, and maintenance with antirejection medicines. It also covers issues of organ donation and matching.

7. Treatment Methods for Kindey Failure: Kidney Transplantation - This publication offers information on kidney transplantation, a procedure that places a healthy kidney from another person into your body. It also discusses the transplant process to include waiting lists, waiting periods and the surgery itself.

Organizations

1. American Urological Association, Inc.

2. National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse, NIDDK, NIH, HHS

3. National Kidney Foundation

4. National Minority Organ and Tissue Transplant Education Program