Orrin Hatch: “I rise today to join my colleague from Wisconsin, Senator Herb Kohl, in introducing a resolution to designate September…”

“I rise today to join my colleague from Wisconsin, Senator Herb Kohl, in introducing a resolution to designate September 13-19, 2010, as National Polycystic Kidney Disease Awareness Week. Polycystic kidney disease, also known as PKD, is a life-threatening, genetic disease which affects more than 12.5 million adults and children worldwide. PKD is of significant interest to me because many Utahns suffer from this illness. The PKD Foundation estimates that roughly 5,000 Utahns have PKD; and ESRD instances in Utah are almost three times the national average. A kidney affected by PKD will develop cysts ranging in size from that of a pinhead to the size of a grapefruit. These fluid-filled cysts increase the size and weight of the kidney from what is normally the size of a human fist to as large as a football. This condition causes great pain and is extremely dangerous to kidney function. As PKD progresses a person may acquire other diseases and disorders such as urinary tract infections, hypertension, and kidney stones. In its most progressive stage, PKD results in kidney failure, or end-stage renal disease, ESRD, for which the only help available is dialysis or a kidney transplant. Autosomal dominant PKD is the most common form of the disease and affects one in every 500 people. This type of PKD is commonly diagnosed in adulthood. Children born to an affected parent have a 50 percent chance of inheriting the disease themselves.”