III 

112TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 495 

Designating the period beginning on June 17, 2012, and ending on June 

23, 2012, as ‘‘Polycystic Kidney Disease Awareness Week’’, and raising 

awareness and understanding of polycystic kidney disease and the impact 

such disease has on patients. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 18, 2012 

Mr. KOHL (for himself and Mr. HATCH) submitted the following resolution; 

which was considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Designating the period beginning on June 17, 2012, and 

ending on June 23, 2012, as ‘‘Polycystic Kidney Disease 

Awareness Week’’, and raising awareness and understanding of polycystic kidney disease and the impact 

such disease has on patients. 

Whereas polycystic kidney disease, known as ‘‘PKD’’, is a 

life-threatening genetic disease, affecting newborns, children, and adults regardless of sex, age, race, geography, 

income, or ethnicity; 

Whereas there are 2 forms of polycystic kidney disease, 

autosomal dominant (ADPKD), and autosomal recessive 

(ARPKD), a rare form frequently leading to early death; 


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2 

•SRES 495 ATS 

Whereas polycystic kidney disease causes multiple cysts to 

form on both kidneys (ranging in size from a pinhead to 

a grapefruit), leading to an increase in kidney size and 

weight; 

Whereas polycystic kidney disease is a systemic disease that 

causes damage to the kidneys and the cardiovascular, endocrine, hepatic, and gastrointestinal systems; 

Whereas patients with polycystic kidney disease often experience no symptoms early in the disease, and many patients do not realize they have polycystic kidney disease 

until other organs are affected; 

Whereas symptoms of polycystic kidney disease may include 

high blood pressure, chronic pain in the back, sides or 

abdomen, blood in the urine, urinary tract infection, 

heart disease, and kidney stones; 

Whereas polycystic kidney disease is the number 1 genetic 

cause of kidney failure in the United States; 

Whereas more than half of polycystic kidney disease patients 

will reach kidney failure and require dialysis or a kidney 

transplant to survive, thus placing an extra strain on dialysis and kidney transplantation resources; 

Whereas there is no treatment or cure for polycystic kidney 

disease; and 

Whereas there are thousands of volunteers nationwide dedicated to expanding essential research, fostering public 

awareness and understanding, educating patients and 

their families about polycystic kidney disease to improve 

treatment and care, providing appropriate moral support, 

and encouraging people to become organ donors: Now, 

therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 


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•SRES 495 ATS 

1 (1) designates the period beginning on June 17, 

2 2012, and ending on June 23, 2012, as ‘‘Polycystic 

3 Kidney Disease Awareness Week’’; 

4 (2) supports the goals and ideals of Polycystic 

5 Kidney Disease Awareness Week, to raise public 

6 awareness and understanding of polycystic kidney 

7 disease; 

8 (3) recognizes the need for additional research 

9 to find treatments and a cure for polycystic kidney 

10 disease; and 

11 (4) encourages the people of the United States 

12 and interested groups to support Polycystic Kidney 

13 Disease Awareness Week through appropriate cere14 monies and activities, to promote public awareness 

15 of polycystic kidney disease, and to foster under16 standing of the impact of such disease on patients 

17 and their families. 

Æ 


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