Sofía Vergara Champions Simple Kidney Screening to Help Detect Hidden Heart Risk

Photo: Courtesy of Boehringer Ingelheim

A Silent Signal, Millions Are Missing. By the time many people realize something is wrong with their kidneys, the warning signs have already passed. Chronic kidney disease rarely announces itself with obvious symptoms. Instead, it develops quietly, often undetected, until it reveals itself through a heart attack, a stroke, or advanced organ damage that feels sudden but has been building for years.

For millions of Americans living with type 2 diabetes or high blood pressure, that risk is constant. And for many Latino families, these conditions are not abstract medical statistics but everyday realities managed between long workdays, discussed at the kitchen table, or monitored by parents and grandparents. Health is often a shared responsibility, carried by daughters, sons, and caregivers who schedule appointments, translate instructions, and advocate for loved ones. Yet one critical screening that could catch trouble early remains widely overlooked.

Now, Boehringer Ingelheim, together with a coalition of healthcare organizations, advocates, patients, and caregivers known as the Detect the SOS Collective, is working to change that. The group has launched a national public health initiative to raise awareness of urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (uACR) screening, a simple urine test that can help identify early kidney damage and signal an increased risk for serious cardiovascular events.

The test itself is neither complicated nor invasive. It does not require blood work or specialized procedures. In a matter of minutes, it can reveal whether the kidneys are leaking small amounts of protein, often one of the first signs of chronic kidney disease. Leading healthcare organizations recommend routine screening with the uACR test, as well as the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) test, for individuals with high blood pressure, diabetes, or other kidney disease risk factors. Yet despite those recommendations, uACR screening is frequently underutilized, leaving many at-risk individuals unaware that their kidneys may already be sending a warning.

The connection between kidney health and heart health is tighter than most people realize. Diabetes is one of the leading causes of chronic kidney disease, and kidney damage significantly raises the likelihood of a heart attack or stroke. In communities of color, including many Latino households, these risks often overlap with limited access to preventive care, language barriers, and gaps in health education. As a result, the opportunity to screen early and intervene sooner is often missed.

“Diabetes is a leading cause of CKD, and both diabetes and CKD can lead to other complications such as heart disease,” said Charles “Chuck” Henderson, the American Diabetes Association’s chief executive officer. “Thus, it is critical for people who are at high risk for kidney disease to get regular screening. Unfortunately, a lack of access to care and education can create a missed opportunity to have kidney screening done. Detect the SOS is a movement to empower people through education to help ensure they regularly get their kidney health tested.”

To bring the message beyond clinics and into living rooms, the campaign is turning to culture as much as medicine. Award-winning actors Octavia Spencer and Sofía Vergara have entered multi-year partnerships with Detect the SOS and are helping launch “Mission: SOS,” a national commercial airing during the Big Game on February 8, 2026, on NBC, Telemundo, and streamed on Peacock. With nearly half of U.S. adults living with high blood pressure and one in ten living with diabetes, most with type 2, the moment offers one of the country’s most visible platforms to reach families who may never have heard of uACR screening.

For Spencer, the cause is deeply personal. “I've lived with type 2 diabetes for about two decades, and I also have high blood pressure, so I know firsthand how overwhelming it can be to manage these conditions every day,” she said. “People may not understand what their kidneys do, let alone that they might be sending an SOS for increased heart risk. When I learned that a simple urine test called a uACR can help detect kidney damage, I got screened right away, and I urge others at risk to do the same.”

Photo: Courtesy of Boehringer Ingelheim

Vergara’s involvement is rooted in caregiving, a role familiar in many Latino households. She has long helped her mother manage high blood pressure, navigating appointments, medications, and the questions that often accompany chronic illness. “I've helped my mother manage her high blood pressure for years,” she said. “I was shocked to learn that something as simple as a uACR urine screening can help uncover hidden heart risk. Through the journey with my mom, I quickly learned that knowledge is power. Detect the SOS feels so important because it offers the information that those at risk need to advocate for themselves and their loved ones.”

Beyond awareness, the initiative aims to make action easier. The campaign’s website, DetectTheSOS.com, offers educational materials and downloadable resources designed to help individuals and families start conversations with their doctors and request a uAC R screening as part of comprehensive annual testing. The goal is to make the test routine something expected rather than exceptional, a standard part of preventive care for anyone managing diabetes or high blood pressure.

“The connection between kidney and heart health is of particular importance for public health. Detect the SOS is a multi-stakeholder movement that brings together trusted voices, advocates, healthcare professionals, and policymakers to empower patients with resources as they take care of their kidney and heart health,” said Brian Hilberdink, President, U.S. Human Pharma at Boehringer Ingelheim. “This is just the beginning, and we hope many more join our mission either by taking the test themselves, sharing the information with a loved one, or reaching out to us to partner.”

In public health, breakthroughs do not always come from new inventions. Sometimes they come from paying attention to what already exists, a test that takes minutes, a conversation with a doctor, a small step taken early rather than late. For families managing diabetes or high blood pressure, asking a single question at the next appointment could change everything: Have my kidneys been checked?

Because long before a crisis, the body is often sending signals. Detect the SOS is asking people to listen.