Health Tips
Donate

Educating on Disease Prevention to

Prevent the Need for Transplantation

Minority communities represent 25% of the population, yet comprise more than 60% of those on transplant waiting lists because of higher rates of diabetes, hypertension and kidney disease. For a transplant, compatible blood type is critical. Some blood types are more common in minority communities. These are all reasons we need more minority donors.

Special thanks to the Washington Regional Transplant Community for sponsoring this PSA.

Here's How You Can Prevent Transplants

You Have the Power!

Checkup

Make sure you have an annual health checkup.

Monitor

Check your blood pressure— often. See your doctor if it isn’t below 140/90.

Exercise

Be physically active for at least 30 minutes a day to cut the risk of obesity, hypertension & diabetes. These diseases increase the risk of needing an organ transplant. Go for a walk, now!

Maintain

Work to maintain a healthy weight and ask your doctor if you need help losing weight.

Eat Right

More green vegetables & less red meat make for an organ healthy diet.

Add

Eat more whole grains, breads and cereals, which are an excellent source of fiber.

Drink More

More water that is. Cut out the sugary drinks and alcohol.

Avoid

Stay away from illegal drugs, which can severely damage the liver and kidney.

Reduce

Cut down or eliminate foods high in salt, cholesterol and saturated fats.

Be a Quitter

Quit smoking ASAP. Check out www.smokefree.gov for tips and text message support

Steps to Burn Off Calories

Credit: Nina Gonzales/Thrillist

Diabetes

Diabetes is the condition in which the body does not properly process food for use as energy. Most of the food we eat is turned into glucose, or sugar, for our bodies to use for energy. The pancreas, an organ that lies near the stomach, makes a hormone called insulin to help glucose get into the cells of our bodies. When you have diabetes, your body either doesn't make enough insulin or can't use its own insulin as well as it should. This causes sugars to build up in your blood. This is why many people refer to diabetes as “sugar.”

 

Diabetes can cause serious health complications including heart disease, blindness, kidney failure, and lower-extremity amputations. Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States.

  • How prevalent is diabetes among blacks?

    • Blacks are 1.7 times as likely to develop diabetes as whites

    • The prevalence of diabetes among blacks has quadrupled during the past 30 years

    • Among blacks age 20 and older, about 2.3 million have diabetes – 10.8 percent of that age group

    • Blacks with diabetes are more likely than non-Hispanic whites to develop diabetes and to experience greater disability from diabetes-related complications such as amputations, adult blindness, kidney failure, and increased risk of heart disease and stroke;

    • Death rates for blacks with diabetes are 27 percent higher than for whites.

  • What are the symptoms of diabetes?

    People who think they might have diabetes must visit a physician for diagnosis. They might have SOME or NONE of the following symptoms:


    • Frequent urination

    • Excessive thirst

    • Unexplained weight loss

    • Extreme hunger

    • Sudden vision changes

    • Tingling or numbness in hands or feet

    • Feeling very tired much of the time

    • Very dry skin

    • Sores that are slow to heal

    • More infections than usual


    Nausea, vomiting, or stomach pains may accompany some of these symptoms in the abrupt onset of insulin-dependent diabetes, now called Type 1 diabetes

  • Can diabetes be prevented?

    A number of studies have shown that regular physical activity can significantly reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is also associated with obesity.

  • Is there a cure for diabetes?

    In response to the growing health burden of diabetes mellitus (diabetes), the diabetes community has three choices: prevent diabetes; cure diabetes; and take better care of people with diabetes to prevent devastating complications.

Source: Centers for Disease Control

disease prevention
disease prevention

Source: American Stroke Association

Strokes

A stroke occurs if the flow of oxygen-rich blood to a portion of the brain is blocked. Without oxygen, brain cells start to die after a few minutes. Sudden bleeding in the brain also can cause a stroke if it damages brain cells.

 

If brain cells die or are damaged because of a stroke, symptoms occur in the parts of the body that these brain cells control. Examples of stroke symptoms include sudden weakness; paralysis or numbness of the face, arms, or legs (paralysis is an inability to move); trouble speaking or understanding speech; and trouble seeing.

 

A stroke is a serious medical condition that requires emergency care. A stroke can cause lasting brain damage, long-term disability, or even death.

 

If you think you or someone else is having a stroke, call 9–1–1 right away. Do not drive to the hospital or let someone else drive you. Call an ambulance so that medical personnel can begin life-saving treatment on the way to the emergency room. During a stroke, every minute counts.

 

Source: National Heart Lung and Blood Institute

High Blood Pressure

What is High Blood Pressure?


Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of the arteries as the heart pumps blood. High blood pressure, sometimes called hypertension, happens when this force is too high. Health care workers check blood pressure readings the same way for children, teens, and adults. They use a gauge, stethoscope or electronic sensor, and a blood pressure cuff. With this equipment, they measure:

 

  • Systolic Pressure: blood pressure when the heart beats while pumping blood
  • Diastolic Pressure: blood pressure when the heart is at rest between beats

Abnormal Blood Pressure


Abnormal increases in blood pressure are defined as having blood pressures higher than 120/80 mmHg. The following table outlines and defines high blood pressure severity levels.


Stages of High Blood Pressure in Adults


Systolic (top number) 

Diastolic (bottom number)

 

Prehypertension 120–139 OR  80–89

High blood pressure Stage 1  140–159 OR 90–99

High blood pressure Stage 2   160 or higher OR 100 or higher

 

The ranges in the table are blood pressure guides for adults who do not have any short-term serious illnesses. People with diabetes or chronic kidney disease should keep their blood pressure below 130/80 mmHg.

 Source: National Heart Lung and Blood Institute

disease prevention
Share by: