DENVER, May 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- DaVita Inc. (NYSE: DVA), a leading independent medical group and a leading provider of kidney care services in the United States, joins an international effort to raise awareness of hypertension, or high blood pressure, and its possible repercussions, including chronic kidney disease (CKD) and end stage renal disease (ESRD).

"It's critical to manage conditions such as hypertension to preserve kidney function," said Dr. Bryan Becker, MMM, FACP, CPE, chief medical officer of integrated kidney care for DaVita. "DaVita encourages everyone to have their blood pressure checked today and be proactive in monitoring their health."

High blood pressure and CKD are strongly linked. If left untreated, hypertension can damage the blood vessels, usually harming the smallest vessels – like the ones in the kidneys – first. Additional health problems may arise due to the fact that one of the main functions of kidneys is to control blood pressure. When kidneys are not working properly, they may produce the hormone renin, causing blood pressure to rise even higher.

Various lifestyle factors can contribute to high blood pressure. The risk of hypertension is greater for those who are older than 45, are overweight or smoke. A sedentary lifestyle, insufficient sleeping habits and imbalanced diets are other common culprits. Simple actions can be taken to reduce the risk of hypertension, such as exercising regularly, limiting salt intake, not smoking and using prescription drugs only as directed.

In recognition of World Hypertension Day, DaVita Kidney Care will be distributing educational materials on the connection between high blood pressure and CKD. DaVita Kidney Care also offers a 60-second risk assessment quiz online at no cost to help educate the public about the risk factors that can lead to kidney disease. To help encourage those at risk to maintain a healthy diet, DaVita has a variety of diabetes- and kidney-friendly recipes on DaVita.com. In addition, DaVita recommends talking with a doctor to determine and manage the risk of hypertension.

Follow DaVita on Twitter at @DaVita and Facebook at Facebook.com/DaVitaKidneyCare for more information and educational resources.

About DaVita Inc.
DaVita Inc., a Fortune 500® company, is the parent company of DaVita Kidney Care and DaVita Medical Group. DaVita Kidney Care is a leading provider of kidney care in the United States, delivering dialysis services to patients with chronic kidney failure and end stage renal disease. As of March 31, 2017, DaVita Kidney Care operated or provided administrative services at 2,382 outpatient dialysis centers located in the United States serving approximately 189,400 patients. The company also operated 162 outpatient dialysis centers located in 11 countries outside the United States. DaVita Medical Group manages and operates medical groups and affiliated physician California, Colorado, Florida, Nevada, New Mexico, Pennsylvania and Washington in its pursuit to deliver excellent-quality health care in a dignified and compassionate manner. As of December 31, 2016, DaVita Medical Group's teammates, employed clinicians and affiliated clinicians provided care for approximately 1.7 million patients. For more information, please visit DaVita.com/about. 

Contact Information

Media:
Libby Thompson
(303) 876-7373
Libby.Thompson@DaVita.com

SOURCE DaVita Inc.