An introduction to the Kidney Check Australia Taskforce

Abstract

SUMMARY: The KidneyCheck Australia program has been launched with the aim of reducing the incidence of end‐stage renal disease (ESRD) in Australia by an early detection and prevention program aimed at high risk groups. A multidisciplinary taskforce has been established to guide the process. the target groups for the program are the general public (particularly those in high risk groups), general practitioners, nephrologists, renal nurses, students, government and industry. Six risk factors have been identified: hypertension, diabetes, a family history of renal disease, smoking, age (over 50 years) and an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander heritage. This new public health awareness campaign will deliver several key messages. These include the message that kidney failure can be prevented, that urine protein is a useful early indicator of renal disease and general vascular risk, that early treatment with ACE inhibitors can be renal protective, and that general practitioners should think in terms of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) rather than creatinine levels when assessing renal function.