Kidney disease is sneaking up on Americans: One in nine of us already has it, and anyone with high blood pressure, diabetes, or a family history of kidney disorders is at increased risk of getting it. At least now you can get an accurate diagnosis. A new test is far more likely than older tests to detect the disorder before it leads to kidney failure.
Accumin, a urine test, catches 98% of cases, diagnosing them an average of 4 years earlier than older tests (which also miss more than a third of cases). With no obvious symptoms in the early stages, the disease can lead to kidney failure. Then, a patient's only options are dialysis or a transplant.
The National Kidney Foundation advises adults to get tested for the disease yearly, so ask your doctor for Accumin. It's covered by most insurers.
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By Rachel Bolt
