Walk with Canadians fighting life-threatening kidney disease

TORONTO, Sept. 28, 2014 /CNW/ - This year marks the PKD Foundation of Canada's 13^th Annual Walk for Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD).

The most common form of PKD is autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD), which affects 35-66,000 Canadians. ADPKD is the most common, life-threatening, hereditary renal cystic disease and the fourth leading cause of kidney failure.^1,2,3,4 Currently, there is no treatment approved to slow the progression of the disease, and if not diagnosed and optimally managed, it can cause irreversible damage.

The Walk for PKD is the PKD Foundation of Canada's signature fundraising event with the goal each year to raise awareness of, and support for, the fight to end PKD. Money raised will go towards research for treatments for PKD as well as education and support services, both online and in local communities. The Walk has raised more than $640,000 since 2007.

Come join us on September 28.  A Cure is Our Finish Line.

Interview Opportunities:

• Jeff Robertson, Executive Director, PKD Foundation of Canada and Toronto Walk Coordinator. Jeff is also personally affected by the disease, both his mother and grandmother have ADPKD.
• Jan Robertson, Founder, PKD Foundation of Canada and ADPKD patient. Jan was diagnosed with ADPKD 35 years ago and has had two liver transplants. Despite a healthy liver, her kidney function continues to lessen and the anti-rejection drugs she takes are becoming harder on her body.

Details:

WHAT:  The PKD Foundation of Canada's 13^th Annual Walk for Polycystic Kidney Disease

WHEN:  Sunday, September 28 from 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

WHERE: Centennial Park – Picnic Area 6, 256 Centennial Park Road, Etobicoke, Ontario, M9C 5N3

Follow the walk on Twitter @PKDFOC and learn more at endpkd.ca.

References
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¹ Torres VE, Harris PC. Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease: the last 3 years. Kidney International. 2009;76(2):149–168cfgd
² Zou W & Tolstikov VV. Pattern recognition and pathway analysis with genetic algorithms in mass spectrometry based metabolomics. Algorithms. 2009;2:638-666
³ Willey CJ et al. Epidemiology of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease in the United States. Poster presented at American Society of Nephrologists (ASN) conference, Atlanta, Georgia. October 2013
⁴ Halvorson CR, Bremmer MS & Jacobs SC. International Journal of Nephrology and Renovascular Disease. 2010;3:69-83

SOURCE: PKD Foundation of Canada

For further information: or to arrange interviews, please contact: Erin Collett, Edelman, 416.849.8911, [email protected]; Jeff Robertson, Executive Director, PKD Foundation of Canada, 416.523.5960, [email protected]