Kidney Disease Disparities

Here are the facts

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is more prevalent in non-Hispanic Black adults (16%) compared to non-Hispanic White and non-Hispanic Asian adults, both at 13%. Approximately 14% of Hispanic adults are also affected by CKD.

CKD occurs more frequently in individuals aged 65 and older, with 38% of this age group being affected, compared to 12% of those aged 45–64 and 6% of those aged 18–44.

Slightly more women (14%) are diagnosed with CKD than men (12%).

(Source: CDC’s Chronic Kidney Disease in the US, 2021)

Although Blacks/African Americans make up about 13% of the U.S. population, they represent 35% of those with kidney failure.

The number of Hispanics diagnosed with kidney disease has surged in recent years, with a more than 70% increase in cases of kidney failure since 2000.

Diabetes remains the primary cause of kidney failure among American Indians.

(Source: NKF’s Social Determinants of Kidney Disease)

There are significant disparities between Blacks and Whites throughout the kidney transplant process. Black individuals are less likely to:

  • Be identified as potential transplant candidates
  • Be referred for a transplant evaluation
  • Complete the evaluation process
  • Be placed on the transplant waiting list

Moreover, Black patients tend to wait longer for a transplant, are more likely to receive kidneys from expanded criteria donors, and are less likely to receive a kidney from a living donor. Additionally, Black transplant recipients often face poorer graft survival outcomes compared to their white counterparts.

Resources

Kidney Equity for All – NKF Resource

References

  1. Nicholas SB, Kalantar-Zadeh K, Norris KC. Racial disparities in kidney disease outcomes. Semin Nephrol. 2013;33(5):409-415.
  2. United States Census Bureau. (2021). QuickFacts Michigan. https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/MI
  3. United States Renal Data System, 2018 Annual Data Report: Epidemiology of Kidney Disease in the United States. National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Bethesda, MD, 20892. https://www.usrds.org/render/xquery_result.phtml. Accessed September 27, 2020
  4. Based on OPTN data as of September 16, 2020. https://optn.transplant.hrsa.gov. This work was supported in part by Health Resources and Services Administration contract 234-2005-37011C. The content is the responsibility of the authors alone and does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Department of Health and Human Services, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.
  5. Norton et al., 2016 2 Norton JM, Moxey-Mims MM, Eggers PW, et al. Social Determinants of Racial Disparities in CKD. J Am Soc Nephrol. 2016;27(9):2576-2595.
  6. Nicholas et al., 2015 3 Nicholas SB, Kalantar-Zadeh K, Norris KC. Socioeconomic disparities in chronic kidney disease. Adv Chronic Kidney Dis. 2015;22(1):6-15.