The Most CommonDiseaseYou’ve Probably Never Heard Of Families Search For A Cure For Polycystic Kidney Disease (NAPSA)—Most people have never heard of polycystic kidney Recognizing Polycystic Kidney Disease Americansliving with the disease, its deadly consequencesareall too familiar. PKD is the most common ofall life-threatening genetic diseases, tomography(CT) scan, or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Symptomsof polycystic kidney disease generally appear between the ages of 20 and 40 andinclude: disease (PKD), but for the 600,000 affecting more people than cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy, hemophilia, sickle cell anemia, Down’s syndrome, and Hunting- ton’s disease—combined. PKD causes cysts to form in both kidneys, ranging from the size of a pinhead to thesize of a grapefruit. As the cysts increase in numberandsize, they begin to interfere with kidney function. The cysts can eventually lead to kidney failure, necessitating dialysis or a kidney transplant, and sometimes leading to death. A parent with PKD has a 50 percent chance of passing the disease on to each of his or her children. As a result of the strong genetic component, PKD can fre- quently be traced through multi- ple generations of families. By the time symptoms of PKD appear, an PKD can be diagnosedbyultrasound, computed High blood pressure Constant orintermittentpain in the back, side, or stomach Blood in the urine Kidney stones Frequenturinary tract infections A family history of kidney problems, heart problems, or strokes in raising funds to find treatments and a cure. Federal funding for PKD is less than funding for many less prevalent diseases and few companies are dedicating resources to research PKD treat- mentoptions. One organization has dedicated itself to easing the burden of PKD. The PKD Foundation, based in KansasCity, Mo., is the only orga- kidneyfailure, dialysis, transplan- nization in the world dedicated to fighting the disease through research into treatments and a cure, and through advocacy on behalf of the PKD community. becauseof the relentless growth of the cysts. by an esteemed board of trustees and a scientific advisory commit- estimated fewer than one percent to lead aggressive research initiatives and dramatically increase revenues for PKD research. affected person has probably wit- nessed parents, grandparents, siblings, or cousins suffer through tation, and even death—all Despite its prevalence, it is of American adults are aware of PKD. This may be dueto a lack of visible symptoms, difficulty in pronouncing polycystic kidneydis- ease, or the absence of a celebrity spokesperson. The low level of awareness results in a tremendousdifficulty The PKD Foundation, guided tee, workstirelessly to raise funds To learn more about PKD, orto assist in the vital search for a cure, visit the PKD Foundation’s Web site at www.pkdcure.org or call 1-800-PKD-CURE(1-800-7532873).
