The District has twice the incidence of kidney failure compared with the U.S. average, and Burton is determined to turn that rate around. Burton is the president and CEO of the American Kidney Fund. On Saturday, her organization will host Kidney Action Day at Nationals Park, a free event offering medical testing, activities and the Steps that Count Walk-a-thon (www.stepsthatcount.org).
Kidneys don’t get a lot of awareness. Why should they?
Kidneys cleanse your body, they regulate urination, they regulate blood pressure and bone development and they clear the body of toxins. When you have kidney failure, they stop functioning. The only options are regular dialysis — when all of the blood is removed from the body to be cleansed — or a transplant. Dialysis is usually three times per week, four hours at a time — it’s pretty draining, and it makes it very difficult to maintain employment. On top of that, the average cost is more than $70,000 per year.
What can we do to be good to our kidneys?
First of all, we can watch our diets, bring down our weight if we’re overweight, and make sure we’re getting proper exercise. About 70 percent of the cases of kidney failure are brought on by diabetes or high blood pressure, so if we have those problems, it’s important to be under the care of a professional physician. It’s important to get tested, too, in order to know our individual risks. We’ll be doing testing at the Kidney Action Day on June 11.
How did you find yourself leading the American Kidney Fund?
I’ve been involved in health care policy throughout my career. In addition, I am an African American woman, and the disproportionate impact of this and many diseases on African Americans is something I take very personally. This is a way to help address those issues.
Leah Fabel
