Last week, to kick off National Kidney Month, American Kidney Fund (AKF) patient-advocates from around the country came to Washington to educate their elected officials about the financial challenges kidney patients experience, and to urge lawmakers to put an end to discriminatory practices among some health insurers. READ MORE >>

A diagnosis of kidney disease often comes as a shock, but you don’t have to face it alone. Our Facebook community includes thousands of people who are living with kidney disease or kidney failure. We recently asked what advice they would give someone who is newly diagnosed. READ MORE >>

Anytime we hear about someone who suffers from a chronic disease, it’s easy to use the disease as a label to describe the person: “There's so and so, she has cancer,” or “He’s a diabetic.” Everyone is guilty of doing this at one time or another, and I have noticed that many doctors unknowingly make this mistake, too. READ MORE >>

Kidney disease and kidney failure affect African-Americans more than any other race or ethnicity. Nearly 1 in 3 of Americans with kidney failure is African-American. Learn more about this silent killer from our infographic. The good news: most cases of kidney disease could be prevented by controlling diabetes and high blood pressure, the two leading causes of kidney disease. READ MORE >>

Whenever the Fort Wayne (Indiana) Komets professional hockey team took to the ice in December, they played to win—both to improve their standing in the ECHL league and to raise money to help kidney patients across the country. READ MORE >>

With winter weather on the way, it’s especially important to be prepared to take care of yourself in case the weather prevents you from getting to your dialysis center. There are some simple steps you can take to make sure you are prepared and have access to the things you need to stay healthy in the event of a winter storm. READ MORE >>

A team of scientists, engineers and clinicians from across the United States is collaborating on a fast-track development to create an implantable kidney the size of a coffee cup to treat end-stage renal disease (ESRD), which affects more than 600,000 people in the United States. READ MORE >>

I found out I had high blood pressure when I was in college. I knew it was serious, and I knew I needed to take medication to control it. But the prescription medication was expensive, and I couldn’t really afford it, so I stopped taking it. I guess I was in denial . . . for more than 10 years. But my life was pretty normal and most of the time I felt OK. Until 2008. READ MORE >>

If you are a dialysis patient, it’s especially important to take steps to make sure you’re ready if disaster strikes. We can’t always predict when something will happen to derail our treatment plans. There are some simple steps you can take to make sure you are prepared and have access to the things you need to stay healthy in the event of a disaster. READ MORE >>

Kidney disease causes expensive, painful and debilitating complications that prevent many patients from working and earning an income. To support people in this difficult situation, the Social Security Administration (SSA) offers disability benefits as a financial resource. READ MORE >>

There are two sides to every kidney donation story—the selfless decision made by the donor and the priceless gift received by the recipient. Richard Patterson III almost lost his father to cancer, so when his dad’s remaining kidney failed, he stepped up to become a living donor in June 2014. READ MORE >>

There are two sides to every kidney donation story—the selfless decision made by the donor and the priceless gift received by the recipient. Richard Patterson, Jr. received a kidney from his son, Richard Patterson III, in June 2014. In Part 1, Richard Patterson, Jr. tells his story of cancer and kidney failure, and eventually receiving his transplant. READ MORE >>