The American Diabetes Association® and DaVita Raise Awareness about the Link between Diabetes and Kidney Disease during American Diabetes Month®

DENVER, Nov. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In honor of American Diabetes Month^® (ADM), the American Diabetes Association^® (ADA) and DaVita are coming together to educate Americans about the connection between diabetes and kidney disease. Throughout the month of November, both organizations will be sharing resources to inform people about taking steps to help prevent or slow these chronic conditions.

"During American Diabetes Month and beyond, we're working together to help remove barriers, deliver comprehensive education and better support people with pre-diabetes, diabetes, and kidney disease," said Dr. Robert Gabbay, chief scientific and medical officer for the American Diabetes Association. "Our collaboration with DaVita has created a valuable network to get information to those who need it most, and we're proud to have already reached 35 million people to date."

Diabetes is one of the leading causes of kidney disease globally. An estimated 1.5 million people in the U.S. are diagnosed with diabetes every year, while 37 million are estimated to be living with kidney disease. Both chronic conditions disproportionally impact Black and Hispanic communities, many of whom are already at higher risk for other chronic diseases, such as heart disease and obesity.

This ADM campaign aims to give people small, tangible steps they can take to help reduce their risk of developing diabetes and kidney disease. The vision is for the small steps to add up to a larger, positive impact on this population's overall long-term health.

As part of this effort, Dr. Jeff Giullian, chief medical officer for DaVita, and Tina Livaudais, chief nursing officer for DaVita, will join Dr. Robert Gabbay on Nov. 19 for a live discussion about diabetes and kidney disease. For more information, visit diabetes.org/bigstepup.

DaVita and the ADA have collaborated over the past year to curate and develop resources that provide essential information about kidney disease risks and prevention methods to those who need it most. These resources include:

• Dietitian-reviewed, kidney-friendly recipes
• No-cost kidney health classes that are open to the community
• Community engagement on social channels and in media that promotes health literacy

"We're committed to addressing kidney disease holistically, which includes a strong focus on preventive care and risk reduction," said Dr. Giullian. "Through our work with the ADA, we're building awareness of the connection between two of the most common chronic conditions worldwide and helping provide no-cost tools accessible to the public to better address and manage these conditions."

For additional information and resources on the link between kidney disease and diabetes, please visit DaVita.com/ManagingDiabetes.

About DaVita Kidney Care
DaVita (NYSE: DVA) is a health care provider focused on transforming care delivery to improve quality of life for patients globally. The company is one of the largest providers of kidney care services in the U.S. and has been a leader in clinical quality and innovation for more than 20 years. DaVita cares for patients at every stage and setting along their kidney health journey—from slowing the progression of kidney disease to helping to support transplantation, from acute hospital care to dialysis at home. As of September 30, 2021, DaVita served 241,600 patients at 3,155 outpatient dialysis centers, of which 2,822 centers were located in the U.S. and 333 centers were located in ten countries outside of the U.S. DaVita has reduced hospitalizations, improved mortality, and worked collaboratively to propel the kidney care industry to adopt an equitable and high-quality standard of care for all patients, everywhere. To learn more, visit DaVita.com/About.

About the American Diabetes Association
The American Diabetes Association (ADA) is the nation's leading voluntary health organization fighting to bend the curve on the diabetes epidemic and help people living with diabetes thrive. For 81 years, the ADA has driven discovery and research to treat, manage, and prevent diabetes, while working relentlessly for a cure. Through advocacy, program development, and education, we aim to improve quality of life for the nearly 122 million Americans living with diabetes or prediabetes. Diabetes has brought us together, what we do next will make us Connected for Life. To learn more or to get involved, visit us at diabetes.org/bigstepup or call 1-800-DIABETES (1-800-342-2383).

Contact Information
Media:
Halie Peddle
[email protected]
(303) 550-6349

SOURCE DaVita