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Two dozen people in Livermore were able to receive free health screenings conducted by kidney care provider DaVita last Sunday.
The San Francisco Premium Outlets was one of the 50 stops throughout the country on DaVita's health tour, a mobile health screening and kidney care education program supporting local communities across the country.
The screenings provided include a fingerstick glucose test to understand diabetes risk, a blood pressure reading for hypertension awareness, body measurements (such as height, weight, waist and body mass index) and an optional blood draw which offers an in-depth measure of kidney function, according to a statement from DaVita.
Each screening is followed by a personal and confidential patient result review with qualified nurse practitioners.
The tour, which launched in September, aims to help identify and raise awareness of risk factors that may lead to chronic kidney disease, including obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and a family history of kidney failure.
"Despite the severity of kidney disease, an estimated 50% of patients who are diagnosed with kidney failure aren't fully prepared for a diagnosis, a staggering number that DaVita is committed to reducing, in part through early detection and prevention efforts," said Jeff Giullian, Chief Medical Officer at DaVita.
According to the medical care company, 15% of the U.S. population has kidney disease — with a significantly higher prevalence in Black and Hispanic populations.
Often, the disease goes undiagnosed until symptoms become severe. By treating kidney health and other related conditions, such as diabetes and hypertension, kidney failure can be slowed or even prevented.
To learn more about DaVita and its services, visit www.davita.com.