Boehringer Ingelheim (Philippines), Inc., together with Dialysis Philippines Support Group (Dialysis PH), Kidney Transplant Association of the Philippines (KITAP), and Philippine Alliance of Patient Organizations (PAPO), is bringing It Starts With U: Get CheCKD back in time for the holiday season. The awareness event will be on November 30, 2024, at the Ayala Malls Manila Bay in Parañaque City.

It Starts With U: Get CheCKD aims to raise awareness of chronic kidney disease (CKD) through activity zones that emphasize early detection and explain how the risk of Type 2 Diabetes and Cardiovascular Diseases like Heart Failure are amplified with the presence of one of these three diseases.

"The alarming rise in Chronic Kidney Disease cases in the Philippines calls for immediate action. Every hour, a Filipino faces the possibility of chronic renal failure, and over 2.3 million are already living with this silent disease. Events like this are crucial for raising awareness and encouraging early detection, which can save lives and improve health outcomes," says Dr. Greta Cortez, Head of Medicine at Boehringer Ingelheim Philippines.

CKD is connected to other health conditions, such as hypertension and diabetes. Kidney disease is one of the first complications to develop when the heart cannot pump blood efficiently to the body.[ Healthline. Why Congestive Heart Failure and Kidney Disease Often Occur Together. https://www.healthline.com/health/kidney-health/chf-and-kidney-failure. Accessed Oct 23, 2024.] Diabetes, meanwhile, may also cause CKD as high blood sugar can damage blood vessels in the kidneys and the heart.[ American Kidney Fund. Heart disease and chronic kidney disease (CKD). https://www.kidneyfund.org/all-about-kidneys/risk-factors/heart-disease-and-chronic-kidney-disease-ckd. Accessed Oct 23, 2024.]

It Starts With U: Get CheCKD will raise awareness of CKD and its connections to hypertension and diabetes through educational talks and new booths focused on the two diseases. There will also be a booth where Boehringer Ingelheim will feature their educational website which aims to empower individuals with information about chronic kidney disease (CKD) and related health conditions. It offers valuable insights on prevention, risk factors, and complications, encouraging patients to take proactive steps toward better health and seek professional care when needed.

It Starts With U: Get CheCKD will also bring back the activity zones that made the first awareness event successful.

The Movement CheCKD Zone will encourage guests to lead a healthier lifestyle through live Zumba and POUND® sessions. Visitors may complement their active lifestyle at the Nutrition CheCKD Zone, where healthy food stations will offer kidney-healthy snacks. The Health CheCKD Zone will feature health and lifestyle stations where guests can check their vitals, such as blood pressure, heart rate, and temperature, and have one-on-one consultations with doctors. If determined to be at risk for CKD, patients can avail the free two-step screening process for kidney health.

Visitors may also play Check Your Choices, a life-sized board game that offers a fun learning experience on how kidneys work and how they may care for it.

Monitor your health

There is a simple 2-step screening process to check kidney health. First is the creatine test, a blood test that is able to measure the waste product of the body and from that the estimated glomerular filtration (eGFR) rate can be computed. The second is the urine albumin-creatinine ratio (uACR) test that uses a urine sample to measure albumin, or protein level present in your urine.[ National Health Service. Chronic Kidney Disease Diagnosis. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/kidney-disease/diagnosis/. Accessed Mar 7, 2024]

Two primary conditions that often lead to CKD are diabetes and hypertension. Lifestyle factors such as age, smoking, family history of CKD, and obesity also put individuals at risk of CKD. Unhealthy lifestyles may also cause you to eat foods high in sugar and sodium, be exposed to constant stress, or keep you from moving your body.

This Christmas, give your loved ones the gift of health. Consult your doctor. For more information, please visit ItStartsWithYou.com.ph.

Amidst the pandemic, there is another disease that has gone under the radar and is silently affecting millions of people—Diabetes. Described as a chronic, noncommunicable disease, diabetes is a major public health problem globally and persons afflicted with it are also vulnerable to a host of other diseases such as hypertension, chronic kidney disease, and COVID.

“Last year, there were 463 million adults living with diabetes globally. That’s 1 out of 11 people who have the condition,” said Sanofi Philippines Country Lead, Amal Makhloufi Benchouk.

More alarmingly, the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) reports that a further 232 million people remain undiagnosed, with the majority of them believed to have type 2 diabetes. In the Philippines alone diabetes is one of the leading causes of death and places a heavy burden for many families who are living with disease.

“There are about 3.7 million diabetic Filipinos, and this number is expected to double in the next 5 years,” Amal shared. “Only 34% are diagnosed, 27% are treated, and only 11% are on insulin. Among those treated, less than 50% are able to manage or control their disease. Globally, 1 life is lost every 7 seconds because of diabetes and its complications.”

Stepping up for World Diabetes Day

Among other factors such as diet and lifestyle, Makhloufi stresses that there is a distinct lack of awareness and understanding on diabetes which has led to its widespread prevalence in recent years. To address this, Sanofi Philippines hosted Healthier/PH sessions: Step Up For World Diabetes Day, a virtual media event which featured a multi-disciplinary panel to tackle the issue of diabetes and educate the public on managing the disease.

“As partners for building a healthier Philippines, we have the chance to step up in solidarity for our friends and family with diabetes. Even a simple gesture of raising awareness, getting the word out to help people better understand the disease and the risk factors behind it can go a long way in the prevention and management of diabetes,” she affirmed.

Other speakers during the online panel include fitness expert, Jinoe Gavan of Takbo.ph, who shared simple at-home workout tips to keep active during quarantine. Social enterprise Gising Gising, represented by Bianca Dualan, RND, was also present during the talk and educated the audience on the proper nutrition and diet for regulating sugar levels, which is essential in managing diabetes.

Lifestyle and Chronic Diseases

“Another way to describe diabetes is a lifestyle disease,” Amal explained. “If we actively promote an active and well-balanced lifestyle for our families, where we get sufficient physical activity and proper nutrition, this will play a major role in reducing the prevalence of chronic disease in the coming years.”

And in its thrust to raise further awareness on the impact of the disease and promote healthier lifestyles, Sanofi Philippines launched the Step Up For World Diabetes Day Virtual Run 2020. This virtual running event was launched on November 14 and runs through December 15, and was initiated in partnership with Takbo.ph.

“I encourage you to step up and take action by joining our first ever Step Up Virtual Run 2020, and inviting others to join as well. Because if we spread awareness one kilometer at a time, one day at a time, one person at time, then together we can make a difference.”

How to Join: 

1. To join, you may register at Takbo.ph, where you can select your preferred distance of 15k, 30k, 50k, or 100k. Registration lasts until November 30 only. 

2. We recommend you use Strava, Nike or Garmin to record and keep track of your time. If you wish to use a treadmill, you may do so provided that your time and distance will be indicated. 

3. Should you choose to run outdoors, always remember to practice social distancing and make use of the proper protective equipment.

For Tiktok Virtual Run Challenge 

1. Register on #StepUp4WDD Virtual Run via https://app.takbo.ph/all-races/step-up-virtual-run-2020 

2. Post a video while running on TikTok and tag 5 of your friends to join.

 3. Use this caption upon posting: I pledge to #StepUp4WDD in the fight against diabetes. I challenge @name1 @name2 @name3 @name4 @name5 to join. 

4. Use the following hashtags upon posting: #WorldDiabetesDay #SanofiPH #PanatangSanofi #DiabetesYourType

For more information on how you can join the Step Up For Diabetes Virtual Run 2020, log on to Takbo.Ph.