Protect Your Kidneys, Save Your Heart The Message for World Kidney Day 2011

March 10, 2011 will mark the celebration of the 6th World Kidney Day (WKD), an annual event jointly sponsored by the International Society of Nephrology and the International Federation of Kidney Foundations. Since its inception in 2006, WKD has grown dramatically to become the most widely celebrated event associated with kidney disease in the world and the most successful effort to raise awareness among both the general public and government health officials about the dangers of kidney disease, especially chronic kidney disease (CKD). In 2011, WKD will call attention to the large, and often unappreciated, role played by kidney dysfunction in increasing premature cardiovascular disease, the most common cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide.1 Can a focus on early detection and prevention of kidney disease really improve long term cardiovascular health? In this editorial, we hope to convey the message that increased attention to the kidneys can indeed improve long-term health outcomes by reducing both kidney and cardiovascular disease (CVD) and should therefore be a central component of any global health strategy intended to reduce the enormous and growing burden of chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs).