11/20/2025
🚨 Beyond the Colors: Mastering Your AMKD Risk with the KDIGO Heat Map 🩺
“Your kidney numbers look fine.”
Sounds reassuring — but for millions at risk of genetically driven kidney disease, it can be dangerously misleading.
If you’re Black, African American, Afro-Caribbean, or have West/Central African ancestry, APOL1 gene variants could silently raise your risk. That’s why understanding the KDIGO Heat Map is a game-changer.
This isn’t just a chart for doctors. It’s a color-coded roadmap that helps decode two critical tests:
✅ eGFR — how well your kidneys filter waste
✅ uACR — if your kidneys are leaking protein
Together, they reveal your true risk level — even when your labs look “normal.”
🟥 Why It Matters for Black Kidney Health
13% of African Americans carry two APOL1 risk variants — raising kidney disease risk.
Early damage often starts silently. You may feel fine. Your labs may look “green.”
But elevated uACR + “normal” eGFR can land you in the orange or red zone — high risk without knowing it.
The KDIGO Heat Map makes these invisible risks visible — and helps you act before it’s too late.
🧠 Take Charge of Your Kidney Health
📌 Ask for BOTH tests — eGFR and uACR.
📌 Plot your results on the KDIGO Heat Map.
📌 Know your zone → green ✅, yellow ⚠️, orange 🔶, red 🔴.
📌 If risk is elevated: discuss lifestyle changes, medications, and APOL1 genetic testing with your doctor.
Knowledge isn’t scary — silence is.
The KDIGO Heat Map gives you the full picture: where you stand, where you’re headed, and what you can do today.
It’s time to go beyond the colors and fight back against silent kidney disease.
