{"slug": "diabetes-charity-capitalises-on-ai-technology", "title": "Diabetes charity capitalises on AI technology", "summary": "The Bermuda Diabetes Association is partnering with Carna Health, a Massachusetts-based company, to offer free AI-powered screenings for chronic kidney disease from August 25 at its headquarters on Princess Street. The three-day exercise aims to detect CKD early, as 95% of at-risk individuals identified in previous screenings were unaware of their condition. Since the programme began in November 2023, 188 people have been screened, with 34% identified as at risk, and 95% of those were newly identified.", "body_md": "# Diabetes charity capitalises on AI technology\n\nThe Bermuda Diabetes Association is partnering with a United States-based company to use AI technology in a free screening exercise for chronic kidney disease this month.\n\nThe BDA said that the partnership with Carna Health during the three-day exercise will provide an opportunity for people at risk to check their kidney health and detect potential concerns early.\n\nScreenings will take place at the association’s headquarters on Princess Street from August 25 between 8.45am and 4pm each day.\n\nThe charity said that CKD often develops silently, with many people experiencing no noticeable symptoms until the condition has progressed.\n\nIt said early screening can help to identify kidney health concerns earlier, when treatment and lifestyle changes can make the greatest impact.\n\nDetecting CKD early can slow or even prevent further kidney damage, reduce the risk of complications and help people protect their long-term health, the BDA added.\n\nLori Rockhead, the charity’s executive director, said: “One of the most striking findings from our previous screening programme was that 95 per cent of people identified as being at risk were previously unaware that their kidney health may be at risk.\n\n“This highlights how silently CKD can develop and why accessible screening is so important.\n\n“By identifying potential concerns earlier, we can help people take action, seek appropriate care and make informed decisions about their long-term health.\n\n“We’re committed to making screening accessible to those most at risk while raising awareness that kidney health should be an important part of diabetes care and overall health management.\n\n“A simple screening today could make a life-changing difference tomorrow.”\n\nSalvatore Viscomi, the chief executive of Carna Health, which is based in Massachusetts, added: “We’re proud to partner with the Bermuda Diabetes Association on this important initiative, bringing advanced point-of-care testing and digital health tools to the community and making kidney health assessments more accessible for those who may be at risk.\n\n“This partnership allows us to bring AI-enabled state-of-the-art technology into the community, helping identify kidney health risks earlier and supporting more informed conversations between individuals and their healthcare providers to prevent the progression of disease.”\n\nThe company provides [integrated digital tools ](https://www.carna.health/)for screening populations, tracking disease progression and identifying high-risk patients early.\n\nIt operates a platform that uses AI-driven risk assessments to guide healthcare providers in making data-driven decisions, optimising treatment plans and preventing disease escalation.\n\nThe Bermuda Diabetes Association said free screening is open to people with one or more of the following risk factors:\n\n• Diabetes\n\n• High blood pressure (hypertension)\n\n• Cardiovascular disease\n\n• A previous episode of acute kidney injury\n\n• Gout\n\n• Smoking\n\n• Obesity\n\n• A family history of kidney disease\n\nThe BDA said that the screening programme builds on its continuing commitment to improve kidney health across Bermuda.\n\nIn November 2023, the charity piloted point-of-care technology for CKD screening.\n\nSince introducing the programme, it said, 188 people have been screened, with 34 per cent identified as being at risk of CKD.\n\nOf those found to be at risk, 95 per cent were [newly identified](https://www.royalgazette.com/health/news/article/20251103/charity-no-barriers-to-screening-for-chronic-kidney-disease/), meaning they were unaware that their kidney health was at risk before attending a screening.\n\nThe association said the disease continues to be a growing global health challenge, with prevalence increasing by about 5 per cent each year.\n\nAdults living with diabetes or high blood pressure are at greater risk of developing CKD, with the two conditions together accounting for approximately two out of every three cases.\n\nThe BDA said appointments at the screening exercise will take up to 60 minutes and include a urine sample, a blood test and a review of results with a healthcare professional.\n\nParticipants are encouraged to arrive well hydrated to help ensure the screening process runs smoothly.\n\n• *To register, visit the Bermuda Diabetes Association website at*[www.diabetes.bm](https://www.diabetes.bm/events/chronic-kidney-disease-screening-august-2026)\n\n[click here](#).\n\n[Terms of Service](/terms-of-service)will be banned.", "url": "https://wpnews.pro/news/diabetes-charity-capitalises-on-ai-technology", "canonical_source": "https://www.royalgazette.com/health/news/article/20260811/diabetes-charity-capitalises-on-ai-technology/", "published_at": "2026-08-12 00:19:06+00:00", "updated_at": "2026-08-12 00:41:36.568331+00:00", "lang": "en", "topics": ["artificial-intelligence", "ai-products", "ai-tools"], "entities": ["Bermuda Diabetes Association", "Carna Health", "Lori Rockhead", "Salvatore Viscomi"], "alternates": {"html": "https://wpnews.pro/news/diabetes-charity-capitalises-on-ai-technology", "markdown": "https://wpnews.pro/news/diabetes-charity-capitalises-on-ai-technology.md", "text": "https://wpnews.pro/news/diabetes-charity-capitalises-on-ai-technology.txt", "jsonld": "https://wpnews.pro/news/diabetes-charity-capitalises-on-ai-technology.jsonld"}}