kidney-link winter 2013

Kidney-LinkWinter 2013 The Kidney Foundation of Canada – Quebec Branch

The foundation of kidney care

Your Health High Blood Pressureand Your Kidneys

Volunteers Honoured ................................................... 2The Kidney Walk........................................................... 3

Organ Donation............................................................ 5

Patient Services............................................................ 6

Research ...................................................................... 7

News from the Chapters .............................................. 8

Last October, Lévi Trottier passed away suddenly, leaving the Foundationwith a deep void once filled by an invaluable and much-loved volunteer.More on page 3

A Foundationstudy highlightsthe economic

benefits of kidneytransplantationto the Quebec’s

healthcaresystem

The government couldsave approx imate ly$250,000 per patientover five years.More on page 4

On May 26, let’s walk the Walk

The Kidney Foundation needsyour help so it can continuefunding research and raisingpublic awareness about kidneydisease and the importance oforgan donation.

On May 26, walk the Walkwith The Kidney Foundation!

More on page 3

The Foundation has lost a great volunteer

Results of the economic studyconducted by Dr. Yves Rabeau

The KidneyWalkNeeds You!

As part of the celebrations marking the 60th anniversary of Her Majesty QueenElizabeth II’s accession to the Throne as Queen of Canada, 60,000 deservingCanadians were recognized. Luciano D’Ignazio, Dr. Pierre Nantel, Denis Marquis,Christopher Gobeil and Tetiana Gerych each received one of those medals. The KidneyFoundation is pleased to highlight the awarding of this prestigious distinction to thesededicated volunteers. This medal recognizes their outstandinginvolvement in the fight against kidney disease.

Luciano D’Ignazio has been involved with the Quebec Branch ofthe Foundation since 1993. He is the Chairman of the Founder’sAward Campaign, a fund-raising initiative that calls upon apartnership between all leaders of the corporate milieu andwhich has become one of the largest sources of revenue forthe Quebec Branch of the Kidney Foundation of Canada. AsChairman of this Campaign, he has helped raise millions ofdollars in the last 19 years through many activities such as theFounder’s Award Golf Classic and the Founder’s Award Gala. In2010, he was awarded the National Special Appreciation Awardfor his fundraising successes.

Dr. Pierre Nantel is the driving force behind several kidneyhealth programs in Quebec. He is the Branch’s representative withthe Ministère de la santé. He initiated, organized and acted asspeaker for the Symposium on Chronic Kidney Disease Preventionof The Kidney Foundation. This symposium is held every year ina different region of Quebec.

Denis Marquis has been a Foundationvolunteer for over 25 years. He has servedas Quebec Branch president on two occa-sions: from 1989 to 1990 and from 2004 to2006. Over his many years as a Foundation

volunteer, he has been highly involved with the Quebec Branch’sBoard of Directors, having served as both member and treasurer. Healso received the David Ornstein Distinguished Service Award in2006, the Harold W. Ashenmil Award, and the National President’sAward in 2009. These three National Recognition awards areconferred by the Kidney Foundation of Canada to recognize theexceptional work of volunteers.

Christopher Gobeil has been involvedwith the Foundation for over 20 years.Mr. Gobeil is the President of The KidneyFoundation of Canada, Quebec Branch.

Tetiana Gerych has worked with the Foun-dation since 1989. Originally volunteeringat one of the Foundation’s branches, shebegan playing an active role on the nationallevel in 2008.

Five volunteers receive the Queen Elizabeth IIDiamond Jubilee Medal for their work with TheKidney Foundation

Dr Pierre Nantel

Denis Marquis

Tetiana Gerych

Luciano D'Ignazio

Christopher Gobeil

Together we can make a difference

2 Kidney-Link • Winter 2013

The personal information youhave provided is used only to sendyou this newsletter. To stop recei-ving it, please e-mail us at [email protected] or call us at514-938-4515.

Readers: You can help enrich ournewsletter by sharing your expe-riences with kidney disease or kid-ney transplantation. Please send atext of no more than 300 words,along with a high-resolution photo,to [email protected].

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CCOONNTTAACCTT UUSS:: The Kidney Foundation of Canada –Quebec Branch2300 René-Lévesque Blvd West,Montreal, QC H3H 2R5

TTEELLEEPPHHOONNEE 514-938-4515 or 1-800-565-4515

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The Kidney-Link newsletter andYour Health insert are publishedthree times a year by the QuebecBranch of The Kidney Foundationof Canada. Distributed in Englishand French to all people sufferingfrom kidney failure, these publica-tions provide valuable informationon the Foundation’s services andactivities, including the latest fin-dings on kidney disease and organdonation.

The opinions expressed in Kidney-Link and Your Health do not neces-sarily reflect those of the QuebecBranch of The Kidney Foundationof Canada, its directors, employeesor members.

Moving? Please let us know at [email protected].

Articles may be reproduced provi-ded that the source is quoted.

The 2012 Kidney Walk attracted nearly 2,000 walkers andraised over $270,000. Help The Kidney Foundation of Canada setnew records by joining us on Sunday, May 26, 2013, to promoteorgan donation and help people suffering from kidney disease. Thisyear’s Walk will take place simultaneously in Dolbeau, Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Gatineau, Montreal, Quebec City, Saguenay, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Sherbrooke and Trois-Rivières. A bicycle edition willbe held the same day in Laval and is sure to be a hit with cyclingfans.

The Walk’s objective is to help fund research and raise publicawareness about kidney disease and the importance of organdonation. It’s a perfect opportunity for dialysis patients, transplantrecipients, donors’ families, living donors, the medical communityand the general public to promote renal health and organ donation.

Organ donation needs have greatly increased due to the rapid rise inthe number of people living with kidney disease. The shortage oftransplantable organs is a harsh reality for thousands of people inCanada.

As of December 31, 2011, 1,264 Quebecers were on a waiting listfor an organ transplant, 988 (78%) of whom were waiting for akidney.* For more information, and to register online, please visitwww.kidney.ca/quebecwalk.*Transplant Québec

In Sherbrooke, hundreds of people took to thestreets to raise public awareness on kidney disease.

The start of the 2012 Walk in Montreal

The Kidney Foundation of Canada wishes to pay tribute toLévi Trottier. Mr. Trottier, volunteer for 11-years with theAbitibi-Témiscamingue Chapter, passed away suddenly onOctober 6, 2012.

Deeply affected by the kidney failure of his eldest son,who received a transplant in 1999 after three years onperitoneal dialysis, Lévi took up the challenge of restartingthe March Drive. The revenue of this fundraising Campaignhas steadly increased every year. He also initiated andorganized the “healthy brunch” fundraiser which is theclosing event of the campaign. Attracting some 225 people,the event will celebrate its 7th anniversary this year.Making countless phone calls and somehow managing toconvince 285 volunteers to canvass La Sarre and the24 neighbouring parishes, he was strongly committed tothe cause of kidney disease. In his early days with theFoundation, he also fought for the creation of the dialysiscentre in La Sarre.

Husband of 54 years, father offour and grandfather of 10,Lévi loved his family dearly.Despite working tirelessly inthe food industry, he found away to give generously ofhis time to his family andthe community: he served asschool commissioner for41 years, spent 33 years asa volunteer firefighter, anddedicated his last 12 yearsto The Kidney Foundation ofCanada. His passing has created a void that will bedifficult to fill. His determination and perseverancewill inspire us to continue his work. For his dedicationand contribution, The Kidney Foundation of Canada wouldlike to thank Lévi Trottier and to extend its deepestappreciation and sincerest condolences to his family.

The loss of a great volunteer

The Kidney Walk

Lévi Trottier

Your donation goes a long way at The Kidney Foundation

Kidney-Link • Winter 2013 3



Transplantation costs society less

According to estimates, dialysis treatments cost thehealthcare system approximately $65,000 a year perpatient, compared with $23,000 for a kidney transplant,to which a further $6,000 a year must be added for anti-rejection drugs. Compared with hemodialysis, a trans-plant leads to savings of approximately $250,000 perpatient over a five-year period. Beyond these figures,we must also take into account the improved quality oflife enjoyed by transplant recipients, who can lead ac-tive lives and return to the labour market.

A kidney transplant is the treatment option yieldingthe greatest improvement in quality of life

Kidney transplantation delivers a number of economicbenefits to society:

• Transplant recipients can return to the labour market,hold down a full-time job and be just as productive astheir coworkers; it is estimated that 50% of transplantrecipients are able to return to the workforce.

• The government stops paying social assistancebenefits to kidney recipients, who were previously ondialysis and therefore unable to work to meet theirfinancial needs.

• The government collects income taxes fromtransplantees once they return to work.

• Transplant recipients return to contributing fully toQuebec’s economy and increase their spending power,thereby enabling the government to collect even moretaxes.

“From an economic standpoint, it’s obvious that kid-ney transplantation lessens the financial burden onour healthcare system. Moreover, the strictly mone-tary costs associated with dialysis—transportation,medication and loss of revenue—also exact a heavytoll on society, as kidney patients have to undergodialysis treatments three times a week just to surviveand are often forced to withdraw from the work-force,” explains Dr. Yves Rabeau, professor of eco-nomics at UQÀM.

The need to minimize the economic and social impacts ofkidney failure in Quebec is urgent. The number of peoplesuffering from the condition is on the rise, due mainly to theincrease in diabetes and high blood pressure, which are thetwo main precursors to kidney disease.

“We would like to see an in-crease in the number of kidneytransplants. In fact, this particularavenue needs to be given prior-ity within our healthcare system.It’s the solution that offers patientsthe greatest chance at a normalquality of life, and it’s the mosteconomical option for society,”said Dr. Michel R. Pâquet,nephrologist at CHUM’s Notre-Dame Hospital andchairman of The Kidney Foundation of Canada’sProvincial Organ and Tissue Donation Committee.

Current estimates place the number of Quebecers ondialysis or in predialysis at more than 12,000. At present,some 1,000 Quebecers are on the waiting list for an organtransplant, and the wait time is around two years.

In Quebec today, 250 transplants are carried out each year.The Kidney Foundation of Canada’s Organ Donation Com-mittee has set itself the ambitious objective of increasingthe number to 350. To reach this goal, the Foundation isdetermined to submit to the Government of Quebec anumber of proposals aimed at reorganizing the healthcaresystem in such a way as to prevent the loss of organs fromconsenting donors and promoting living donor transplants.In Quebec, transplants involving living donors account forless than 20% of all transplants carried out, whereas therate is 50% elsewhere in Canada.

These measures will lead to: • shorter wait times for transplants;• improvements to patient quality of life;• longer potential lifespans for transplanted organs;• significant savings to society.

The economic study is available in PDF format on our siteat kidney.ca/quebec under “Organ Donation.”

An economic study conducted by Dr. Yves Rabeau, professor of economics at UQÀM, in conjunction with Dr. Michel R. Pâquet, chairman of The Kidney Foundation of Canada’s Provincial Organ and Tissue Donation Committee, has demonstrated that thegovernment could reap significant savings by placing emphasis on kidney transplants.



Organ Donation

Have you donated a kidney to a loved one or received a trans-plant yourself? Did your employer support you by continuing topay your salary throughout the transplant process or allowingyou to take a leave of absence to undergo medical exams? Whynot nominate your employer and let the world know just howgenerous your employer has been?

Simply complete the registration form available on our Web siteat www.kidney.ca/humanitarian by March 30, 2013.

In 2012, the Foundation conferred the “Gift of Life” HumanitarianAward on Xstrata Copper Canada – Horne Foundry, for itscommitment to organ donation. This award is the Foundation’sway of recognizing the company’s humanitarian efforts, whichgreatly helped Gaétan Turcotte donate a kidney to a friend.

In 1983, Richard Tremblay was working as a police officer inmetropolitan Sherbrooke. Demonstrating his sincere desireto help and to serve through his job, Richard was unwittinglyon his way to creating one of the strongest links inQuebec’s organ donation chain, the Canadian OrganDonation Association. At the time, his friend Jean-JacquesBégin was desperately awaiting a kidney transplant.On learning about the painfully long wait his friend had toendure, Richard decided to act.

As host of the television show Télé-patrouille on Radio-Canada’s Sherbrooke station, not to mention an active policeofficer, Richard contacted the station’s executives to pitchhis idea for an organ donation telethon. The goal: raise pub-lic awareness of the importance of signing an organ donorcard. The project made headway, and in December 1983, theOpération greffe de vie telethon was broadcast on Radio-Canada stations across Canada for six hours straight.

The first Opération greffe de vie telethon was hosted byRichard, his friend Jean-Jacques and Christine Mercier, underthe patronage of honorary chairman Dr. Paul David, Senatorand founder of the Montreal Heart Institute, and the showwas a resounding success! The telethon was held the twofollowing years as well. However, in 1987, CODA reinventeditself and launched what would be a North American first:the overland transportation of organs, tissues and medical

equipment. “Back then, organs weretransported by taxi or ambulance,which practically put the brakes onorgan transplants in outlying re-gions. And that made no sense,”said CODA’s founding president.So Sherbrooke became the home of the first organ, tissueand medical team transportation unit operated by volun-teers, all members of Quebec’s police forces. The projectgave rise to others like it, and 25 years later, CODA has11 transportation units across Quebec, including the per-manent unit at Pierre-Elliot Trudeau International Airport,yet another North American first!

Today, CODA still pursues its mission, which now includespart of Ontario. In the meantime, the organization took ona second mission, that of posthumously recognizing de-ceased donors, as well as living donors, their families andthe police officers who give of their time to transport or-gans, tissues and medical teams. Every year since 1994,CODA has held a recognition ceremony in Sherbrooke.“Recognition is a very important part of what we do. It hasbecome a tradition to use this event to recognize donorsand families who, like war heroes, have saved lives withtheir selfless acts,” said Mr. Tremblay.

Source: Transplant Québec, Julie Perreault

Martin Munger, Director-general of The Kidney Foundationof Canada – Quebec BranchNatalie Ouellette, Gaétan Turcotte’s wife;Gaétan Turcotte, a warehouse employee who gave one ofhis kidneys to a friend in 2011;Mario Julien, Director, Human Resources;Michel Galarneau, a warehouse employee who headed thea fundraising created by the company.

Richard Tremblay, CODA President

“Gift of Life” Humanitarian Award Rewarding employers for making organ donation easier

A Quarter Century of Transportation for CODA! This year, the Canadian Organ Donation Association (CODA) is celebrating 25 years of ground transportation success. In all, the organization’s vehicles have travelled 1,450,679 kilometres, the equivalent of circling the globe 36 times!


Patient ServicesTo receive documentation and informationabout the programs offered by the QuebecBranch of The Kidney Foundation of Canada,refer to the “Patient Programs and Support”and “Organ Donation” sections of our Web site at wwwwww..kkiiddnneeyy..ccaa//qquueebbeecc, or contact:

Hélène Boisvert, Programs DirectorThe Kidney Foundation of Canada – Quebec Branch2300 René-Lévesque Blvd WestMontreal, Quebec H3H 2R5Tel.: 514-938-4515, ext. 224, or 1-800-565-4515E-mail: [email protected]

Do the Foundation’s programs and services meetthe needs of patients and members?Last Fall, the Foundation conducted a survey on member andpatient perceptions of its programs and services. We were pleasedwith the high response rate and would like to thank you for havingtaken the time to voice your opinion, which we truly value. Thesurvey results will be published this spring in the next issue of thenewsletter.

Income TaxDid you know that people living with kidneyfailure are entitled to tax credits? For more in-formation, refer to the Web sites of the CanadaRevenue Agency (www.cra-arc.gc.ca) and Re-venu Québec (www.revenu.gouv.qc.ca). Youmay also obtain the required forms and get ad-vice from The Kidney Foundation of Canada’sprograms director.

Celebrating Christmas: Bombardier AerospaceRenews its Commitment to The Kidney Founda-tion of CanadaOn December 9, 2012, over 100 people took part in the traditionalChristmas brunch for all the children in Saint-Justine Hospital’skidney dialysis and transplant unit, after which the gifts under thetree were handed out. The activities that followed in the afternoonincluded games, crafts and dancing for young dialysis patients.The Kidney Foundation of Canada would like to extend its mostheartfelt thanks to Maryse and Normand Pineault, as well as to theentire team of volunteers, for organizing this wonderful party. Thank-yous also go out to the Bombardier Aerospace EmployeeCharity Fund for purchasing all the gifts for the children and for put-ting together the scrumptious buffet for the brunch. We would liketo underline Claudia Côté’s role in the event’s logistics and thankher for attending the brunch with several Bombardier employees.

The Foundation unveils the results of its diabetes and hypertension education andscreening program

From 2010 to 2012, The Kidney Foundation of Canadacarried out a diabetes and hypertension education andscreening campaign in high-risk communities (Asian,South Asian, Afro-Caribbean, Latin American). In Canada, an estimated 2.6 million people suffer fromchronic kidney failure or are at risk of developing it, andwe know that the two main causes of kidney failure arediabetes (34%) and hypertension, known commonly ashigh blood pressure (19%). The screening campaign carried out from January 2010 toJune 2012 reached 4,400 people (53% women and 47%men) who were able to get tested at one of the Founda-tion’s 62 kidney health booths. The results showed thatSouth Asian communities are at the greatest risk of deve-loping hypertension: 30% of the 750 people of SouthAsian descent who were tested were found to be at risk.Mainly from India or Pakistan, these people present anelevated risk of developing high blood pressure. On theopposite end of the scale, people of Latin American des-cent have a lower risk of developing the condition. Only

15% of the 1,000 people tested were at risk of developinghypertension. On average, 23% of the 4,400 people tes-ted, all communities combined, were at risk of developinghigh blood pressure. In terms of diabetes, the SouthAsian, Asian and Afro-Caribbean communities were thosewith the highest risk of developing the disease. Our studyalso found that men over 40 were at greater risk of suf-fering from hypertension and diabetes. This major screening campaign aimed at high-riskcommunities helped the Foundation raise publicawareness about the importance of healthy living,while disseminating information on how to make gooduse of available health services. The campaign is theproduct of a close collaboration between communityorganizat ions, the Publ ic Health d iv is ion of theMontreal Health and Social Services Agency, andthe De la Montagne, Ahuntsic and Montréal-NordCommunity Health and Social Service Centres (CSSS).The project was made possible thanks to a contribu-tion from the Public Health Agency of Canada.

YOUR HEALTH • Winter 2013 1

YourHealth

Winter 2013 The Kidney Foundation of Canada – Quebec Branch

The publication of this booklet was made possible thanks to the financial support of

What is blood pressure?Blood pressure is the force exerted on artery walls bythe blood pumped by the heart. It is expressed using twovalues:

• Systolic pressure (the peak of the pressure wavefollowing the contraction of the heart)

• Diastolic pressure (the valley of the pressure wavebetween two heartbeats)

For example, a blood pressure reading of 130/85 mm Hgmeans that the systolic pressure is 130 and the diastolicpressure is 85. Both values are important.

What is high blood pressure?

In medical circles, high blood pressure is known as hyper-tension. A diagnosis of arterial hypertension usually comesafter taking a number of blood pressure readings over a pe-

riod ranging from a few weeks to several months. Blood pres-sure is deemed to be high when it exceeds 140/90 mm Hgat rest. “Blood pressure at rest” is the pressure measuredafter five minutes of resting in a sitting position in arelaxing environment.

In people suffering from diabetes or chronic kidney failure,blood pressure at rest should be below 130/80 mm Hg.Keep in mind that blood pressure target values vary fromone person to the next. Ask your physician about yourtarget values.

The number of people with hypertension continues togrow, and this epidemic is placing an increasingly heavyburden on Canada’s healthcare system.

A Few FiguresOver five million Canadians 12 and over have highblood pressure. According to estimates, more than90% of Canadians with an average lifespan will expe-rience high blood pressure at some point in their life.In Quebec alone, over a million people suffer from hy-pertension.

Also, according to the results of The Canadian HealthMeasures Survey (CHMS) conducted between 2009and 2011, 17% of people with hypertension areunaware of it. That’s why high blood pressure isnicknamed “the silent killer.”

Source: Statistics Canada 2011

High Blood Pressure and Your Kidneys

2 YOUR HEALTH • Winter 2013

Your Health

What causes high blood pressure?One of the major risk factors for hypertension isa family history of the condition. Lifestyle factorsalso contribute significantly to high blood pres-sure, including:

• a diet lacking in fresh fruits and vegetables,fibre and low-fat dairy products

• excessive consumption of sodium (salt) andsaturated fats

• lack of physical exercise

• excess weight

• excessive alcohol consumption (more thantwo standard glasses a day)

• too much stress

How to tell if you’ve got high bloodpressureHypertension is an insidious disease. By the timesymptoms appear, hypertension will have alreadycaused years of damage to your organs.

To find out if you’re hypertensive, you need tohave your blood pressure measured by a healthprofessional. Because the values used to indicateblood pressure can vary greatly, a single elevatedreading does not necessarily mean that you’vegot hypertension. If the first reading is high, makesure to have your blood pressure checked again.

In fact, you should have it measured regularly andkeep track of your results.

Why it’s important to control highblood pressure?If you don’t control your blood pressure, you’re atgreater risk of experiencing serious health prob-lems, such as heart attack, stroke, heart failure,kidney failure, terminal kidney failure, and bloodvessel damage.

If you suffer from kidney failure and diabetes andyou are hypertensive, you need to be especiallyvigilant about monitoring your blood pressure. In

fact, controlling your blood pressure is the mostimportant thing you can do to slow kidney fail-ure’s progress.

How are high blood pressure andkidney failure linked?While kidney failure can lead to hypertension, theopposite is also true: high blood pressure in-creases your risk of kidney failure.

High blood pressure can damage your kidneys.The resulting salt retention can in turn aggravatehypertension. The most effective means of treat-ing hypertension is also the best way to delay orprevent the onset of kidney failure, which in turnwill reduce the need to resort to dialysis or atransplant.

What can I do about high bloodpressure?It’s important that you know your current and tar-get blood pressure readings. Your systolic and di-astolic pressure readings should both match yourtarget values.

A healthy lifestyle is the key to controlling hyper-tension. Most people with kidney failure will needto take medication to keep their blood pressurein check. Often, they will have to take more thanone drug.

Here are just a few of the healthy lifestyle choicesyou can make to control your high blood pres-sure:

• Eat food that’s low in fat and sodium (salt)

• Consult a dietician who specializes in nephrol-ogy: you can work together to develop ahealthy eating plan

• Get regular exercise

• Maintain a healthy weight

• Monitor or reduce your consumption of alco-hol (no more than two standard glasses a day)

• Don’t smoke

• Use relaxation techniques to reduce stress

YOUR HEALTH • Winter 2013 3

Your Health

Will I need to take medication? If your blood pressure remains above your targetvalues, you will probably be on medication… forthe rest of your life. There are many kinds of anti-hypertensive medications. Because needs varyfrom one person to the next, your physician willdecide which medication is best for you.

Controlling high blood pressure is a team effort,but you’re the captain of that team. See your doc-tor regularly. Don’t stop taking your high bloodpressure medication without your doctor’s ap-proval. Properly controlling your hypertension willlower your risk of experiencing other health prob-lems later on. A healthy lifestyle and the rightmedication can help you control your blood pres-sure.

SALT: THE SILENT KILLER

The average Canadian’s salt intake is higherthan the value recommended for good health.On average, Canadians consume around 3,500mg of sodium a day. This is well above the levelrecommended for maintaining good health. Tohelp prevent and treat hypertension, a daily intakeof 1,500 mg is recommended for adults 50 orunder; 1,300 mg/day for adults 51 to 70; and1,200 mg/day for adults 70 and over.

Epidemiological studies and studies with humansubjects have shown that a high sodium intakefrom food is a major cause of hypertension, themain risk factor for early vascular disease.

The research indicates that a reduction in sodiumintake to recommended levels could eliminate amillion cases of hypertension, double the numberof hypertension cases brought under control, andprevent 13% of cardiovascular events in Canada,which would save the Canadian healthcare sys-tem approximately $2 billion a year.

Where does all this salt comefrom?Nearly 80% of the sodium we consumecomes from processed and fast foods likepizza, sandwiches, subs, burgers, hot dogs,ready-made soups and instant noodles.Also, sodium is added to practically everyindustrially prepared food (bread, cannedvegetables, cold cuts), not just to saltysnack foods.

Cooking or table salt accounts for 10%,while salt naturally found in our food ac-counts for another 10% of our daily intake.

4 YOUR HEALTH • Winter 2013

Your Health

How can I change my eating habitsand reduce my salt intake?Check food labels for salt content

• If possible, buy unsalted or low-salt foods

• Look for claims such as “No sodium,” “Reduced-sodium,” “Contains less sodium,”or “No salt added”

• Compare the “Nutrition Facts” tables andchoose products with a lower salt content

• Look for foods that contain less than 360 mgof salt per portion

• Cut down on processed foods, even thosethat don’t taste salty

• Eat out less: restaurant meals are an all-too-common choice

• Smaller is better: the bigger the portion, thehigher the salt content

Does your diet suffer because you don’t have timeto cook? Here are a few suggestions that can helpyou significantly reduce the amount of salt in yourdiet when you’re in a hurry:

• Always keep frozen or ready-to-serve vegeta-bles on hand, like prewashed lettuce, slicedmushrooms and cherry tomatoes

• To replace commercial pasta sauces, whip upyour own using canned tomatoes with no saltadded

• For healthier sandwiches, replace cold cutswith fondue meats, which are sliced thin andcook up in seconds

• Freeze the water you cook vegetables in anduse it later as a stock for home-made soups,or opt for reduced-salt commercial vegetablebouillon powder

• Use home-made dressings to give even morelife to your salads

• Avoid sea and vegetable salts, which areequivalent to table salt

• To give your foods flavour, go wild! Try freshginger, toasted sesame oil or seeds, citrus zest,jalapeño peppers, sambal oelek, curry powder,cardamom, “Chinese 5 Spices” mix, seasonedvinegars, dried herbs, and garlic, celery oronion powder

Your taste buds will need some time to adjust to lesssalty foods. But if you keep at it, you’ll end up reallyappreciating the lower-salt recipes you’ve con-cocted. Try starting out with the half-half trick: mixsalted nuts with unsalted nuts, or mix half a glass ofregular vegetable juice with half a glass of the low-sodium version.

Source: www.hypertension.qc.ca

The foundation of kidney care


Services aux patientsResearch

Dr. François Madore is a Nephrologist at Montreal’sSacré-Coeur Hospital. He also heads up the University ofMontreal Nephrology Research Consortium. He and histeam are conducting basic research, concentrating onbiomarkers − tools that could assist with the preventionor early detection of kidney disease.

“Early detection is really important in kidney disease,”says Dr. Madore, “because many people are not evenaware that they have a disease. The reason for this is thatkidney diseases are often silent. People don’t have anysymptoms. Since they don’t feel that they are sick, theydon’t seek medical attention.” These individuals are miss-ing prized opportunities to have their kidney functionchecked through very simple blood and urine tests.

“In terms of population health, I think what is reallyneeded is to improve the level of awareness regardingkidney diseases,” insists Dr. Madore. “Individuals mustknow whether or not they are affected and whether ornot they need to take special care regarding their kid-neys. I think in recent years we’ve become much betterat evaluating kidney function earlier when a patientcomes to see a doctor. For instance, we’re very aware ofthe roles of high blood pressure and diabetes in con-tributing to renal deterioration. So I think physicians aremuch more aware of the risk factors, and we’re muchbetter at identifying them and attempting to prevent pro-gression of kidney problems.”

Biomarkers, the area of Dr. Madore’s research, assist inthe prognosis of kidney disease and response to therapy.“Basically, a biomarker is a molecule or something thatwe can measure either in the blood or in the urine thatwill help us to predict how a patient is going to evolve inthe future. So if we can measure protein in the blood of

someone, that level of protein will tell us if this patient isgoing to require chronic dialysis or transplantation. Thisis very important.” stresses Dr. Madore, “because if youknow that someone is likely to progress towards some-thing specific, you may treat this patient very differentlyand you may be more aggressive in terms of treatment.Biomarkers are very helpful in predicting who is going torespond – or not - to therapy.”

Cholesterol is probably the best known biomarker. It canbe measured in the blood and helps predict whether ornot someone will suffer from myocardial infarction orcardiovascular disease. Cardiovascular disease isCanada’s number one killer and kidney disease patientsare more likely to die of cardiac complications than ei-ther renal failure or prolonged dialysis. Dr. Madore notesthat research such as his will help to “identify why pa-tients with kidney disease have this increased risk of car-diovascular disease.” And this is an important steptowards enhancing future treatment and potentially, pre-vention of kidney disease.

Biomarkers: Tools to Help Kidney Disease Prevention and Early Detection by Dr. François Madore

Dr. François Madore recei-ved support and researchgrants from the Foundation’sBiomedical Research Program. He also sits on the Program’s ScientificCommittee.

For its annual gala, held this year under the theme“Bollywood Dreams,” The Kidney Foundation of Canadaconferred the 2012 Founder’s Award on all Kidney KidsCamp volunteers and organizers.

Held November 8 at Montreal’s Le Windsor Ballrooms,the Gala paid tribute to all those who strive to makethe Kidney Kids Camp a reality.

The Foundation’s Kidney Kids Camp celebrated its20th anniversary last year.

For kids 8 to 18 who suffer from kidney disease orwho’ve had a transplant, the summer camp is anopportunity to experience all the joys of a sleep-away camp in a setting carefully organized around theirunique needs. Campers enjoy a week of fun underthe supervision of a volunteer medical staff from Sainte-Justine Hospital and the Montreal Children’s Hospital.The Gala is the closing event of the Founder’s AwardCampaign, which was chaired by Luciano D’Ignazio,

CPA, CA, of Schwartz Levitsky Feldman LLP, and whichwas under the honorary presidency of Tony Loffreda,CPA, Head, National Client Group, Quebec,and Regional Vice-president, Commercial FinancialServices, RBC Royal Bank.

Over the past 22 years, the Campaign has raised over$14 million thanks to the invaluable dedication andsupport of the Campaign’s Cabinet members. The Gala’sOrganizing Committee was made up of Howard Levine,Salvatore Santangello, Roberto Catalogna, Claude Jodoinand Perany Hassan, and was co-chaired by ColleenWicha, Karen Kear-Jodoin and Norma Passaretti.

MONTREAL-METROPOLITAIN Kidney Kids Camp Volunteers Honoured at the Founder’s Award Gala

Kidney Kids Camp volunteers, along with Luciano D’Ignazio andTony Loffreda, Founder’s Award Campaign Chairman and HonoraryChairman, respectively

SAGUENAY/LAC SAINT-JEAN Christmas surprise at Chicoutimi Hospital

On December 19, 20 and 21, 2012, the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean Chapter handed out snacks to hemodialysis patients atChicoutimi Hospital to celebrate the Christmas season.Every patient also received a $20 President’s Choice giftcard.

The Kidney Foundation ofCanada wishes to pay tributeto Harry H. Feldman, whopassed away on July 5, 2012.Since 1992, Harry was a veryactive member of the Founder’sAward Campaign Cabinet,raising over $2 million to fundresearch, patient services andthe promotion of organ dona-tion. As an eminent member of Montreal’s busi-ness community and someone determined to helpothers, he contributed significantly to raising awa-reness of the needs of people with kidney disease.In recognition of his outstanding commitment tothe Foundation’s mission, Harry Feldman wasconferred The Kidney Foundation of Canada’sFounder’s Award in 2003.



News from the Chapters

Harry H. Feldman




EASTERN TOWNSHIPS The Minister of Health and Social Services attends the17th Jean-Jacques Bégin Dinner

The traditional benefit dinner in honour of Jean-Jacques Bégin tookplace on October 12, 2012, at the Club de golf Sherbrooke, underthe Chairmanship of Dermapure Founder and Director, Marilyne Gagné.The dinner was an occasion for the many guests attending to enjoy asumptuous oyster dinner and buffet. The event raised $16,000, whichwill be used to conduct research into kidney disease, promote organdonation and organize activities for people with kidney disease, thoseawaiting a transplant, transplant recipients and dialysis patients.

Dr. Réjean Hébert, MNA (Saint-François) and Minister of Health andSocial Services, attended the dinner along with MP Pierre-Luc Dussault(Sherbrooke) and MNA Serge Cardin (Sherbrooke).

The Foundation wishes to thank all of the event’s generous sponsors:Olympique Métal, IGA Couture, the Nephrology Department at Univer-sité de Sherbrooke’s university hospital, and Barefoot.

Josée Parenteau, President of the Eastern Townships Chapter, was proud toaccept the Morty Tarder Award on behalf of the Chapter. This distinctionis presented to the Chapter that has best supported The Kidney Foundationof Canada in all aspects of its mission, including fundraising and patientservices, over the course of the past year.

Josée Parenteau, on behalf ofthemembers of the EasternTownships Chapter’s Board ofDirectors, also presented theChapter’s Volunteer Award toDominic Lapointe, President ofUni-d conception publicitaire.This award is given to a volun-teer who has contributed in anexceptional way to the growthand development of the Chap-ter’s activities.

Dr Réjean Hébert

Josée Parenteau accompagnée de Christopher Gobeil

Dominic Lapointe




QUEBEC CITY Kindness and comfort at the Christmas Brunch

On December 2, 2012, more than 175 people at-tended the Quebec City Chapter’s annual Christmasbrunch to celebrate the Christmas holidays in a joyfulatmosphere.

Although the festivities were undoubtedly enhancedby the door prizes on hand, the day’s real highlightwas when Solange Bouchard received the Jean-Jacques Bégin Award from the Quebec City Chapter.

For over 30 years, Solange has been volunteeringwith kidney patients, serving them coffee at theQuebec City’s Hôtel-Dieu Hospital while promotingthe Foundation’s activities.

Another party was also held on the same day atHôtel-Dieu for patients undergoing dialysis.

A big thank-you to all the volunteers who helpedorganize these two events!

Solange Bouchard receives the Jean-Jacques Bégin Award in the company ofmembers of the Foundation’s Quebec CityChapter: President Gaétan Rhéaume(left); Development Coordinator MaryseNéron; Isabelle Langevin, administrativeassistant, Development; and outgoingPresident, Marcel Bédard.




Would you like to

support us by holding

your own fundraising

activity to benefit the

Foundation? To find out

how, call Linda Pellas,

Director of Development

at 514-938-4515, ext. 227.

The Kidney Health TourThe Foundation will be setting up its screening kidney health centerin cities throughout Quebec this coming March, National KidneyHealth Month. The Foundation’s objective is to detect diabetes andhypertension, two main precursors to kidney disease. In Quebec,200,000 people are unaware that they are diabetic, and thousandseither have kidney disease or are at risk of developing it.

Would you like to find out if you’re at risk?Drop by one of our kidney health centers!Trois-Rivières: March 1, 2013Centre Les Rivières – 4225 Des Forges Blvd

Quebec City: March 12, 2013Galeries de la Capitale – 5401 Des Galeries Blvd

Sherbrooke: March 14, 2013Carrefour de l’Estrie – 3050 De Portland Blvd

Montreal: March 20 & 21, 2013Salonma santé, ComplexeDesjardins – 150 Sainte-Catherine StreetWest

Gatineau: March 26, 2013Les Promenades de l’Outaouais – 1100 Maloney Blvd West

As part of the Kidneys for Life Tour, Dr. Sacha De Serres will givea lecture on kidney research on March 20, 2013, in the Mauricieregion ( details will be posted on our Web site).

Annual General MeetingThe Quebec Branch of The Kidney Foundation of Canada will holdits annual general meeting (AGM) on May 4, 2013, at the BestWestern Plus Hotel, 131 Laurier Street, Gatineau. Kindly registerby April 2, 2013, by contacting Jocelyne Renaud at 514‑938‑4515,ext. 230, or at 1‑800‑565‑4515.

The Door-to-Door Campaign Returns this SpringThe Foundation’s traditional Door-to-Door Campaign will returnthis March and April in the Outaouais, Three-Rivers, Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean, the Lower Saint-Lawrence and the North Shore,where a great team of dedicated volunteers will be knockingon doors raising funds to improve the quality of life for peoplesuffering from kidney disease. They will also take the opportunityto raise public awareness about organ donation.

To get involved or find out more, contact Maryse Néron, Provin-cial Door-to-Door Campaign Coordinator, at 418‑683‑1449 [email protected].

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The mission of The Kidney Foundation of CanadaThe Kidney Foundation of Canada is the national volunteer organization committed to lesseningthe burden of kidney disease through:

• funding and stimulating innovative research;• providing education and support;• promoting access to high quality healthcare; and• increasing public awareness and commitment to advancingkidney health and organ donation.Quebec Branch

2300 René-Lévesque Blvd WestMontreal, Quebec H3H 2R5

Tel.: 514-938-45151-800-565-4515

Fax: [email protected]

www.kidney.ca/quebec

Become a member of The Kidney Foundation of Canada – Quebec Branch• Receive the Kidney-Link and Your Health insert • Receive information on our activities

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2013

kidney-link winter 2013

Documents

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quebec branch ofthe

denis marquis

pierre nantel

queen of canada

luciano dignazio

founders award gala

thefounders award golf