Florida Senate - 2023 (NP) SR 1742
By Senator Powell
24-03378-23 20231742__
1 Senate Resolution
2 A resolution recognizing March 2023 as “Chronic Kidney
3 Disease Awareness Month” in Florida and acknowledging
4 the importance of improving the diagnosis and
5 treatment of chronic kidney disease through community
6 based programs that address racial disparities in the
7 awareness, diagnosis, and treatment of the disease.
8
9 WHEREAS, March is recognized as National Kidney Month,
10 which makes this month an important time for raising public
11 awareness and understanding about chronic kidney and rare kidney
12 diseases, and
13 WHEREAS, more than 1 in 7 adults in the United States —
14 nearly 37 million people — are estimated to have chronic kidney
15 disease (CKD), and it is believed that as many as 9 in 10 adults
16 with CKD are undiagnosed, and
17 WHEREAS, 90 percent of patients with CKD stages 1-3 are
18 undiagnosed, and less than 3 percent of African American
19 patients believe that they are at high risk for CKD, and
20 WHEREAS, kidney disease disproportionately affects
21 communities of color, with African Americans nearly 4 times more
22 likely and Hispanics 1.3 times more likely to experience kidney
23 failure than white Americans, and
24 WHEREAS, CKD is often diagnosed in the late stages of the
25 disease when irreversible damage to the kidneys has already
26 occurred, and
27 WHEREAS, 15 percent of people diagnosed with CKD are
28 unaware of the cause of their disease, and
29 WHEREAS, recent scientific advancements have shown that
30 some of the disparities in the occurrence of CKD have a genetic
31 basis, and
32 WHEREAS, this genetic risk factor for CKD was discovered in
33 2010 when scientists learned that people who inherit two
34 variants of the apolipoprotein L1 (APOL1) gene are at
35 significantly increased risk of developing kidney disease, and
36 WHEREAS, while everyone has the APOL1 gene, only people
37 with African ancestry inherit certain genetic variants, and
38 WHEREAS, 13 percent of African Americans carry two APOL1
39 risk variants, and estimates suggest that up to 1 in 5 people
40 with two APOL1 risk variants will develop kidney disease, and
41 WHEREAS, APOL1-mediated kidney disease causes high levels
42 of protein in the urine, or proteinuria, and decreased kidney
43 function which can lead to various symptoms, including swelling
44 in the legs and feet, fatigue, and weight gain, and
45 WHEREAS, research has also shown that the course of kidney
46 disease progresses more rapidly in individuals with two APOL1
47 risk variants than in patients without them, and
48 WHEREAS, the disease may eventually lead to kidney failure,
49 requiring dialysis or a kidney transplant, and
50 WHEREAS, there are simple tests to diagnose CKD, including
51 blood and urine tests, and a genetic test exists to identify the
52 presence of APOL1 risk variants, and
53 WHEREAS, it is imperative that this state improve the
54 diagnosis and treatment of CKD through community-based programs
55 that address racial disparities in the awareness, diagnosis, and
56 treatment of CKD, NOW, THEREFORE,
57
58 Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of Florida:
59
60 That March 2023 is recognized as “Chronic Kidney Disease
61 Awareness Month” in Florida and the importance of improving the
62 diagnosis and treatment of chronic kidney disease through
63 community-based programs that address racial disparities in the
64 awareness, diagnosis, and treatment of the disease is
65 acknowledged.