KIDNEY DISEASE Fast facts

Some information on polycystic kidney disease:
With more than 12.5 million people affected worldwide, 600,000 of them Americans, PKD is the most common life-threatening genetic disease.
In the United States, PKD generates some 2,000 new cases of kidney failure each year; 1,000 patients with kidney failure caused by PKD die each year.
It affects men and women equally regardless of age, race or ethnic origin.
People with PKD develop cysts on both kidneys. Cysts can range from the size of a pinhead to the size of a grapefruit.
A normal kidney is the size of a clenched fist; polycystic kidneys weight as much as 38 pounds and can grow larger than a football.
PKD costs the federal government more than $2 billion a year through Medicare and Medicaid.
More than half of those with PKD develop kidney failure. PKD is the fourth-leading cause of kidney failure. Dialysis and kidney transplants are the only available treatments for kidney failure.
The National Institute of Health devotes $11.5 million for PKD research.
SYMPTOMS
High blood pressure.
Constant or intermittent pain in the back, side or stomach.
Blood in urine.
Kidney stones.
Frequent urinary tract infections.
Family history of kidney problems, heart problems or stroke.
Source: PKD Foundation for Research in Polycystic Kidney Disease