Know if you are increased risk of kidney disease

You should have a Kidney Health Check once a year if you:

• Have diabetes
• Have high blood pressure
• Are First Nations Australian aged 18 years and over

You should have a Kidney Health Check every two years if you:

• Are a current or former smoker
• Are very overweight or obese
• Had a stroke, heart attack or have heart failure
• Have a family history of kidney failure, dialysis or kidney transplant
• Have a history of acute kidney injury
• Are over 60 years of age

It is also important to note people who have none of the risk factors above may also develop kidney disease. You can take the risk test for kidney disease online.

Higher risk categories

There are two groups of people who have a higher risk of developing kidney disease:

• People with diabetes. When you have diabetes the high levels of sugar in your blood can damage your kidneys.
• People with high blood pressure. Kidney disease and high blood pressure are inherently linked. Frequent testing of your blood pressure is necessary to monitor how your kidneys are performing.