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Mike Mitka

JAMA. 2002;287:973.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

A new definition of chronic kidney disease and a plea for physicians and patients to learn test result numbers related to renal malfunction highlight guidelines recently issued by the National Kidney Foundation (NKF). The guidelines appear in the February issue of the American Journal of Kidney Diseases.

Leaders of the NKF hope to publicize the guidelines to increase public awareness. They also plan on communicating with physicians the importance of early diagnosis of kidney disease to improve long-term outcome. The NFK said that most of the 20 million Americans who have chronic kidney disease are unaware of their illness, and another 20 million are at increased risk.

"Americans who have diabetes, high blood pressure, or a family history of kidney disease should ask their physicians for routine blood and urine tests to diagnose chronic kidney disease," said William F. Keane, MD, NKF president, at a February 5 press . . . [Full Text of this Article]