Boehringer Ingelheim convenes "Detect the SOS" Collective for public health mission: increase uACR screening among adults with type 2 diabetes and/or high blood pressure to help uncover kidney damage and elevated heart risks
- Detect the SOS Collective is comprised of: Boehringer Ingelheim, the American Diabetes Association®, National Kidney Foundation, WomenHeart, and The Mended Hearts, Inc.
- Actors Octavia Spencer and Sofía Vergara are part of the Detect the SOS Collective to raise awareness of uACR screening and increase testing
- Approximately 35 million U.S. adults are estimated to have chronic kidney disease, putting them at risk of cardiovascular events like heart attack or stroke; an important screening can help detect it early
RIDGEFIELD, Conn., Jan. 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Boehringer Ingelheim and the Detect the SOS Collective, a group of professional organizations, advocates, patients and caregivers, launched a new public health mission: elevate awareness of urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (uACR) screening to help uncover hidden risks for chronic kidney disease (CKD) and related cardiovascular (CV) events like heart attack or stroke.
Experience the full interactive Multichannel News Release here: https://www.multivu.com/boehringer-ingelheim/9369051-en-boehringer-ingelheim-detect-the-sos-uacr-screening
Leading healthcare organizations* recommend routine screening with the uACR test, as well as the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) test, for individuals with high blood pressure, diabetes or other CKD risk factors. However, uACR screening — a simple urine test that can help uncover a potentially modifiable sign of kidney damage early — is often underutilized. As a result, many of these at-risk individuals may be missing a hidden signal from their kidneys — an SOS that may be alerting them to an increased risk for major CV events like heart attack or stroke.
"Diabetes is a leading cause of CKD, and both diabetes and CKD can lead to other complications such as heart disease," said Charles "Chuck" Henderson, the American Diabetes Association's chief executive officer. "Thus, it is critical for people who are at high risk for kidney disease to get regular screening. Unfortunately, lack of access to care and education can create a missed opportunity to have kidney screening done. Detect the SOS is a movement to empower people through education to help ensure they regularly get their kidney health tested."
Kicking Off a Critical Mission
Award-winning actors Octavia Spencer, who has type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure, and Sofía Vergara, who helps care for her mother with high blood pressure, have multi-year partnerships with Detect the SOS to bolster awareness of the importance of uACR testing.
In order to reach those most at risk, Spencer and Vergara are kicking off the movement with "Mission: SOS," a commercial airing during the Big Game on February 8, 2026, on NBC, Telemundo and streamed on Peacock. With almost half of U.S. adults living with high blood pressure and 1 in 10 living with diabetes — most with type 2 — this national event offers a unique opportunity to amplify this crucial public health message during one of the most consistently and widely watched events in the country.
"I've lived with type 2 diabetes for about two decades and I also have high blood pressure, so I know firsthand how overwhelming it can be to manage these conditions every day," said Octavia Spencer. "People may not understand what their kidneys do, let alone that they might be sending an SOS for increased heart risk. When I learned that a simple urine test called a uACR can help detect kidney damage, I got screened right away and I urge others at risk to do the same."
"I've helped my mother manage her high blood pressure for years," said Sofía Vergara. "I was shocked to learn that something as simple as a uACR urine screening can help uncover hidden heart risk. Through the journey with my mom, I quickly learned that knowledge is power. Detect the SOS feels so important because it offers the information that those at risk need to advocate for themselves and their loved ones."
Resources Available through Detect the SOS
The mission's website, DetectTheSOS.com, features educational materials and downloadable resources that will help at-risk individuals start a conversation with their doctor and ask for a uACR screening as part of comprehensive annual testing.
"The connection between kidney and heart health is of particular importance for public health. Detect the SOS is a multi-stakeholder movement that brings together trusted voices, advocates, healthcare professionals and policymakers to empower patients with resources as they take care of their kidney and heart health," said Brian Hilberdink, President, U.S. Human Pharma at Boehringer Ingelheim. "This is just the beginning, and we hope many more join our mission either by taking the test themselves, sharing the information with a loved one or reaching out to us to partner."
About Detect the SOS
Detect the SOS is a public health mission aimed at empowering people with type 2 diabetes or high blood pressure to prioritize a simple uACR urine screening. Visit DetectTheSOS.com to read and download resources and learn more about how to get tested.
Participating patient and professional organizations in the Collective include:
- American Diabetes Association®: diabetes.org
- National Kidney Foundation: kidney.org
- The Mended Hearts, Inc.: www.mendedhearts.org
- WomenHeart: www.womenheart.org
About the Hidden Signals
Many people with high blood pressure or type 2 diabetes may unknowingly be living with CKD. Albuminuria, or excess levels of albumin protein in the urine, is a sign of CKD that can indicate an increased risk of CKD-related CV events, such as heart attack or stroke, as well as kidney disease progression.
- An estimated one in five adults with high blood pressure and one in three adults with diabetes may have chronic kidney disease, which increases risk of cardiovascular complications.
- More than half (~58%) of Black women and one-third (~35%) of Hispanic women in the U.S. aged 20 years or older are living with high blood pressure, a risk factor for CKD and cardiovascular complications.
Early CKD is often asymptomatic, and up to ~90% of U.S. adults with chronic kidney disease might not know they have it, although this varies by stage. Earlier detection of albuminuria through uACR screening can help enable timely interventions that may help reduce risk of cardiovascular complications and chronic kidney disease progression.
Public Health Impact of Kidney Damage
Cardiovascular disease and chronic kidney disease account for billions in public health costs each year. This places a significant burden on the healthcare system and adds to the need for greater awareness of early screening and risk detection.
- Nearly one in four Medicare Fee-for-Service (FFS) dollars, totaling $95.7 billion, in 2022 were spent on care for adults with chronic kidney disease.
- Costs of heart disease in the U.S., including health care services, medicines and lost productivity due to death, from 2020 to 2021, were an estimated $417.9 billion.
Early detection through uACR screening — an important indicator for cardiovascular and kidney disease — may be a less costly screening method.
One study estimated that even if high blood pressure, diabetes and other traditional cardiovascular risk factors are under control, unaddressed risk remains. In fact, the costs associated with CKD** are expected to rise to $173.4 billion in 2027. By bolstering awareness among physicians and establishing best practices across the healthcare system, patient outcomes have the potential to improve.
Boehringer Ingelheim
Boehringer Ingelheim is a biopharmaceutical company active in both human and animal health. As one of the industry's top investors in research and development, the company focuses on developing innovative therapies that can improve and extend lives in areas of high unmet medical need. Independent since its foundation in 1885, Boehringer takes a long-term perspective, embedding sustainability along the entire value chain. Our approximately 54,500 employees serve over 130 markets to build a healthier and more sustainable tomorrow.
Boehringer is committed to partnering with healthcare systems, government agencies and health authorities to educate individuals about their screening options.
*Clinical guidelines published by the American Diabetes Association® (ADA), the American Heart Association (AHA) and American College of Cardiology (ACC), and Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) each recommend routine screening with uACR, in addition to an eGFR blood test — to screen for CKD in individuals with hypertension, diabetes, or others at risk for CKD.
**Costs are associated with diagnosed CKD stages 3a-5, including dialysis, kidney transplantation and its maintenance, and associated cardiovascular complications.
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