On the recordSeptember 13, 2010
Madam President, I speak today, along with my colleague, Senator Bob Bennett, in recognition of ``National Polycystic Kidney Disease Awareness Week''. Senator Herb Kohl and I introduced S. Res. 592 on July 22 to designate September 13-19, 2010, as the National PKD Awareness Week for 2010, and Senator Bennett was a cosponsor of the resolution. S. Res. 592 passed the Senate by unanimous consent on July 29, 2010. I thank my colleagues for their support. Polycystic kidney disease, also known as PKD, is a life-threatening, genetic disease affecting more than 600,000 adults and children in the United States and 12.5 million people worldwide. In fact, PKD is one of the top three most prevalent life-threatening genetic diseases in the world. It is, in fact, one of the most deadly diseases of which you have likely never heard. To help put it into perspective, more people have been diagnosed with PKD than have been diagnosed with cystic fibrosis, sickle cell anemia, hemophilia, muscular dystrophy, Down's syndrome, and Huntington's disease combined. However, these diseases are much more well-known than PKD. I take particular interest in PKD because so many Utahns suffer from the disease. According to the PKD Foundation, approximately 5,000 Utahns have been diagnosed with PKD and end stage renal disease--ESRD--instances in Utah are almost three times the national average.…





