URBANA — Free screenings to detect early signs of chronic kidney disease will be offered by Carle and the National Kidney Foundation of Illinois on Oct. 4 at the Forum at Carle, 611 W. Park St., U.

The screenings will be available on a walk-in basis to anyone age 18 and older from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. People with abnormal screenings will receive counseling on the next steps to take.

More than 26 million people in the U.S. have chronic kidney disease — the loss of kidney function over time — according to the National Kidney Foundation of Illinois.

People at risk are those with hereditary factors, diabetes, high blood pressure, minority populations, smokers, those who sustain a direct and forceful blow to the kidneys and anyone who has taken a lot of painkillers that combine aspirin, acetaminophen and other medicines such as ibuprofen.

Patients coming in for a screening will fill out a form about their medical history and undergo several screenings, including those for diabetes, blood pressure, body mass index and a urinalysis that can indicate an early sign of kidney disease.

Those found to be at risk will also be offered a blood test, and everyone will have a one-on-one consultation with a nurse practitioner to go through their results, said Nicole Sisen, director of community health education for the kidney foundation.

Sisen said these free screenings yield big savings in patient lives and health care costs.

An estimated 900,000 people in Illinois have chronic kidney disease, and most don't know it, according to the foundation. But when this disease is found early, it can be treated before it progresses to renal failure.

More than 70 percent of people who participate in the National Kidney Foundation of Illinois' screening program find they have at least one abnormal result that requires a referral or medication, the foundation says.