Kidney Health in Canada

1 in 10 Canadians have kidney disease
Almost 1 in 3 First Nations adults have kidney disease (source)
15% of First Nations children screened showed signs that kidney problems were starting (source)
Diabetes and high blood pressure are the leading causes of kidney disease but there are also other causes
There is increasing kidney failure and use of dialysis over the last 20 years

Why is kidney health important?

Kidneys help our bodies keep working and stay healthy. They get rid of fluids, wastes and toxins and when kidneys get damaged, they aren’t able to get that bad stuff out of our bodies anymore.

It can be really hard on your body if your kidneys are having problems.

When there are problems with kidneys this can be called kidney disease. When kidneys stop working this is called kidney failure.

There are lots of things you and your health-care provider can do to keep your kidneys healthy. You can also get your kidneys checked to find kidney problems. There are lots of ways to help kidneys (and you) feel better now and in the future.

Click on the arrows on each side of the below slides to learn more about kidney health.