(NAPSI) — Many people don’t know it, but when your kidneys stop working, so do you. Your kidneys are as essential to life as other vital organs, such as your heart. Kidney healthy is also heart healthy, so when you “Heart Your Kidneys,” you also show love for your heart. That’s because the No. 1 cause of death in people with kidney disease is heart disease.

The Problem

More than 30 million American adults are estimated to have chronic kidney disease, and most are unaware of it. One in three American adults is at risk for chronic kidney disease. It’s the ninth leading cause of death in the U.S., and growing in prevalence. For many people, dialysis or a transplant is needed just to stay alive.

What To Watch For

Risk factors for kidney disease include diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, and a family history of kidney failure. People of African American, Hispanic, Native American, Asian or Pacific Islander descent are at increased risk for developing the disease. African Americans are three times more likely than whites, and Hispanics are nearly 1½ times more likely than non-Hispanics, to develop end-stage renal disease, also known as kidney failure.

The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) urges everyone with risk factors to speak with their doctor about taking the two simple tests, blood and urine, to check for kidney health. And if you don’t have major risk factors for chronic kidney disease, you should still discuss your kidney health with your doctor. Even if you inherit kidney disease, you may be able to slow its progression with lifestyle changes. You can join the conversation on social media and post #HeartYourKidneys. NKF is the largest, most comprehensive and long-standing organization dedicated to the awareness, prevention and treatment of kidney disease.

What To Do About It

On World Kidney Day, March 8, throughout March—National Kidney Month—and at any time of year, NKF says, all Americans should “Heart Your Kidneys” by following some simple tips.

“Eat right, exercise, drink water, and keep your kidneys healthy, because whatever you’re good at, there’s only one you,” says 10-year-old “America’s Got Talent” singer, kidney transplant recipient, and first-ever NKF Kid Ambassador Angelica Hale in a new “Heart Your Kidneys” video public service announcement.

At age 4, Angelica’s kidneys failed. Her mother, Eva Hale, donated one of her own kidneys to her daughter to save her life. Today, both mother and daughter are healthy. Angelica has also become NKF’s newest kidney advocate on Capitol Hill at the Kidney Patient Summit in Washington, D.C., by supporting NKF legislative priorities.

Fast Kidney Facts

• Your kidneys are located in the back just below your rib cage.
• Each of your kidneys is about the size of your fist.
• The kidneys’ major function is to remove waste products and excess fluid from the body.
• Kidney disease usually affects both kidneys.
• Nearly 100,000 people in the U.S. are waiting for a kidney transplant.

Learn More

For more information about kidney health, visit www.kidney.org.

(NAPSI) — Here’s health news you may be glad to see: A healthy lifestyle may reduce your risk of getting vision diseases such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD), which can damage central vision and currently affects 11 million Americans. If you already have AMD, such a lifestyle may help protect your remaining vision. Here are hints on how.

Tips To Help Your Vision

Don’t Smoke. Smokers are more than twice as likely as nonsmokers to get AMD. Smoking narrows the blood vessels, reducing blood supply to the eyes. If you smoke, make a plan to quit with your doctor’s help.

Exercise Regularly. Exercise may reduce inflammation, which is a key contributor to AMD. It can also help lower eye pressure, which improves blood flow to the retina and optic nerve.

Eat a Varied and Nutritious Diet. Both your eye health and your overall health benefit from a diet rich in vitamins and minerals, including dark leafy greens, yellow and orange fruits and vegetables, fish, and whole grains.

Maintain Normal Blood Pressure and Cholesterol Levels. High blood pressure narrows the blood vessels that nourish the retina. Cholesterol deposits in the eye contribute to AMD.

Maintain a Healthy Weight. Being overweight contributes to AMD and increases your risk of heart disease and diabetes. Develop a healthy diet and lifestyle plan.

Protect Your Eyes Outdoors. Sunlight exposure may increase the risk of AMD. Wear wide-brimmed hats when outdoors and use high-quality sunglasses with a UVA and UVB rating of 99 to 100 percent.

Keep Track of Your Eye Health. It’s important to monitor your vision, to help with early detection of eye problems or to slow the progression of AMD. Schedule regular, comprehensive eye exams with your eye doctor. More than a vision test, the exam should include pupil dilation to detect diseases, and the use of tonometry, which measures eye fluid pressure.

Ask your doctor how often you should schedule exams, based on your risk factors. These include a family history of AMD and being over age 60.

Learn More

For more eye care advice, you can download The Top Five Questions to Ask Your Eye Doctor and other free vision resources at www.brightfocus.org/eye-health, or call (800) 437-2423.

(NAPSI)—With more than 10,000 baby boomers turning 65 each day, the number of people eligible for Medicare is growing rapidly. Medicare Open Enrollment starts Oct. 15 and runs through Dec. 7, a time when millions of people are evaluating their health plan options to ensure their coverage meets their retirement lifestyle.

When looking at Medicare plans, people check to make sure their physician is included in the plan’s network and prescriptions are covered, but it’s important to see which unique benefits and perks a plan offers to take full advantage of the program. There is much more than standard health care available.

Medicare plans can offer benefits including a free gym or fitness facility membership through programs such as SilverSneakers, the nation’s leading community fitness program designed specifically for older Americans. Exercise is key to helping people live their best lives as they age, maximizing their health and well-being to maintain an active lifestyle. No matter a person’s goal—from running a marathon for the first time to keeping up with grandkids—SilverSneakers members enjoy the many benefits of the program, including:

• Membership to more than 14,000 fitness locations: SilverSneakers members have unrestricted access and unlimited visits to every fitness and wellness facility in the national network, including each location’s basic amenities, such as weights, treadmills, pools and more.
• Specialized fitness classes: SilverSneakers offers a variety of classes in partnering locations that are designed to accommodate all fitness levels and interests. Led by certified SilverSneakers fitness instructors, classes range from SilverSneakers Classic and Splash, to SilverSneakers BOOM®, a fast-paced, higher-intensity class designed for baby boomers and active older adults.
• Friendship and community: So much more than an exercise program, SilverSneakers helps foster new friendships with a welcoming and supportive member community that becomes one of close friends.
• Quality of life: The program changes lives by engaging participants in physical activity to help them do more of what they love. In fact, 91 percent of members say SilverSneakers has improved their quality of life.

More than 14.5 million people are eligible for this program offered at no additional charge through the nation’s leading Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplement and group retiree plans. You can check your Medicare plan to see if you are eligible for the program and claim your free fitness membership at www.silversneakers.com.

(NAPSI) — The New Year is a wonderful time to not only evaluate your past, but also explore your goals for the year ahead. While it is common that health and fitness resolutions land at the top of people’s list, the truth is that achieving any goal in 2018 is dependent upon good health. Whether planning that bucket list vacation, trying a new hobby or spending more time outdoors, a healthy fitness routine is the backbone of making these goals achievable.

This year, create an attainable health and fitness goal to help you reach all your resolutions. SilverSneakers, the nation’s leading fitness community for older adults, offers the following tips on how to make resolutions that will help you live life well in 2018:

1. Set a SMART goal: SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Action Oriented, Realistic and Time Bound. “Losing weight” is not a specific measurable goal; instead, say you want to lose 10 pounds in three months. That way, you have something to strive toward and measure against.
2. Start small: If you only focus on an ambitious long-term goal, you may be setting yourself up for failure. It is important to set weekly milestones that allow you to see progress and achieve success early and often.
3. Bring a friend: Knowing that you promised a friend you would join her for that 6 a.m. class keeps you accountable for showing up and doing your best. Having a friend to work out with also makes the experience more enjoyable.
4. Track progress: As you work toward your goals, make sure to track your activities and the progress you make along the way. Whether it be pounds lost or miles ran, it will be encouraging to see where you started and where you are now.
5. Celebrate success: Each milestone toward the end goal should be celebrated. Completing your resolution won’t happen overnight and the journey should be an exciting time as you work toward a healthier you.

For more than 25 years, SilverSneakers has been helping older adults enjoy and get the most out of life by engaging participants in physical activity, as well as fostering new friendships with a welcoming member community. Through exercise, SilverSneakers helps people maximize their health and well-being, and maintain their active lifestyle in retirement.

To find out if you are eligible or to find a class in your area, visit www.SilverSneakers.com.

FOR YOUR HEALTH

The American Cancer Society has announced updated cancer statistics, facts and figures which show a decline in the cancer death rate in recent years.

The main takeaway is, the cancer death rate dropped 1.7 percent from 2014 to 2015, continuing a drop that began in 1991 and has reached 26 percent, resulting in nearly 2.4 million fewer cancer deaths during that time.

The data is reported in Cancer Statistics 2018, the American Cancer Society’s comprehensive annual report on cancer incidence, mortality, and survival. It is published in California: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians and is accompanied by its consumer version: Cancer Facts and Figures 2018.

The report estimates that there will be 1,735,350 new cancer cases and 609,640 cancer deaths in the United States in 2018*. The cancer death rate dropped 26 percent from its peak of 215.1 per 100,000 population in 1991 to 158.6 per 100,000 in 2015. A significant proportion of the drop is due to steady reductions in smoking and advances in early detection and treatment. The overall decline is driven by decreasing death rates for the four major cancer sites: Lung (declined 45 percent from 1990 to 2015 among men and 19 percent from 2002 to 2015 among women); female breast (down 39 percent from 1989 to 2015), prostate (down 52 percent from 1993 to 2015), and colorectal (down 52 percent from 1970 to 2015).

While the new report also finds that death rates were not statistically significantly different between whites and blacks in 13 states, a lack of racial disparity is not always indicative of progress. For example, cancer death rates in Kentucky and West Virginia were not statistically different by race, but are the highest of all states for whites.
Prostate, lung, and colorectal cancers account for 42 percent of all cases in men, with prostate cancer alone accounting for almost one in five new diagnoses.

For women, the three most common cancers are breast, lung, and colorectal, which collectively represent one-half of all cases; breast cancer alone accounts for 30 percent all new cancer diagnoses in women.

The lifetime probability of being diagnosed with cancer is slightly higher for men (39.7 percent) than for women (37.6 percent). Adult height has been estimated to account for one-third of the difference.

Liver cancer incidence continues to increase rapidly in women, but appears to be plateauing in men. The long-term, rapid rise in melanoma incidence appears to be slowing, particularly among younger age groups. Incidence rates for thyroid cancer also may have begun to stabilize in recent years, particularly among whites, in the wake of changes in clinical practice guidelines.

The decline in cancer mortality, which is larger in men (32 percent since 1990) than in women (23 percent since 1991), translates to approximately 2,378,600 fewer cancer deaths (1,639,100 in men and 739,500 in women) than what would have occurred if peak rates had persisted.

“This new report reiterates where cancer control efforts have worked, particularly the impact of tobacco control,” said Otis W. Brawley, M.D., chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society. “A decline in consumption of cigarettes is credited with being the most important factor in the drop in cancer death rates. Strikingly though, tobacco remains by far the leading cause of cancer deaths today, responsible for nearly three in ten cancer deaths.”

*Estimated cases and deaths should not be compared year-to-year identify trends.