Growing up in a family where high blood pressure is common, Sofia Vergara didn’t think the trait was a big deal. But when it became a concern for her mother, she took a greater interest. “[My mother’s] getting a little bit forgetful, and she doesn’t want to really go to the doctor, and she doesn’t want to pay attention. She’s getting stubborn,” Vergara tells me fondly. “So, I [became] her health advocate, and I started educating myself on what could happen if you have high blood pressure for a long time.”
Through that research, the Modern Family star was surprised to find that the high blood pressure her mother suffered from could be a warning sign for something bigger. Along with type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure is a common, yet often overlooked, risk factor for chronic kidney disease.
With that troubling news, Vergara also uncovered something more hopeful: A simple uACR urine test can detect chronic kidney disease for people at risk. But that only led Vergara to wonder why it wasn’t being readily offered. “This uACR test, [it’s] something so simple…that you do at your doctor’s office. It’s not anything dramatic, like a biopsy or some kind of [invasive] scan,” she explains. “So, it’s really disappointing that this test that is so easy, and it’s not something that’s already part of your yearly [physical], because something so simple should be.”
Vegara’s mother ultimately did ask for the uACR test at her daughter’s urging, and thankfully doesn’t have kidney disease. But the experience was still eye-opening for the Emmy nominee. “Doctors, at the end of the day, [aren’t] God,” she says. “You [have to] go prepared. You [have] to know about your condition, know how to explain your symptoms, and defend yourself in a way.”
Despite Vergara’s efforts to arm herself with information, being a caregiver and health advocate—even for a loved one—isn’t without its challenges. “It’s been a little bit annoying because you have to force someone to [do things that are] good for them,” she explains. But putting herself in that role for her mother has also changed how she approaches her own health in a valuable way. “Now I’m more conscious of all of that and how important it is to be your own advocate,” she says.
She doesn’t want her advocacy to stop at her own family, either. “[A lot of] Latin people, in general, have high blood pressure and diabetes,” Vergara says. “[It’s] heartbreaking to know that a lot of these people go through life not feeling well and [aren’t] guided in the right direction.” She hopes spreading awareness about the uACR test will encourage people in her community to advocate for themselves and seek it out, though she knows that’s easier said than done. “Sometimes we’re afraid to ask the doctor; we get overwhelmed with all the questions that we have to [ask]. [But] this is something important that everyone should request if they have high blood pressure or type 2 diabetes.”
As a survivor of thyroid cancer herself, Vergara is all too aware that there’s no way to protect yourself from a difficult diagnosis completely. But for now, she’s focusing on what she can control. “At the end of the day, the only thing that you can control is going to the doctor, asking the right questions, [and] finding the right doctor,” she says. “Be your own advocate and, you know, educate yourself. [That way,] you can know what to do or what the best next step [is] for whatever you’re experiencing.”
To learn more about chronic kidney disease, its hidden risk factors, and how to get tested, visit DetectTheSOS.com.
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