Chronic Kidney Disease on the Rise

More than 26 million American adults have chronic kidney disease (CKD) and millions more are at risk and don’t know it. Since kidney disease can sneak up without any warning in the way of symptoms, the disease has been labeled a “silent killer” and a “quiet epidemic.”

  1. The incidence of kidney failure, or end stage renal disease (ESRD), is rising fast, with more than 546,000 Americans currently receiving treatment. This includes more than 381,000 dialysis patients and 165,000 people with functioning kidney transplants.
  2. Of the more than 110,000 Americans currently awaiting organ transplants, 87,000 are waiting for a kidney.
  3. Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure, accounting for 44 percent of the new cases. Nearly 215,000 people are living with kidney failure resulting from diabetes.
  4. Uncontrolled or poorly controlled high blood pressure is the second leading cause of kidney failure in the country, accounting for 26% of all cases.
  5. The third and fourth leading causes of kidney failure in the U.S. are glomerulonephritis, an inflammatory disease of the kidneys, and polycystic kidney disease.
  6. CKD hits minorities disproportionately, with African Americans affected at a rate of nearly three times that of Caucasians as the number of new cases of kidney failure per million is 783 for African Americans and 295 for whites. Hispanics, Asians, Pacific Islanders, Native Americans and the elderly are also at increased risk.
  7. Each year, more than 88,000 Americans die from causes related to kidney failure.
  8. Premature death from cardiovascular disease is higher in adults with CKD compared to adults without CKD. In fact, individuals with CKD are 16 to 40 times more likely to die than to reach kidney failure.
  9. CKD continues to be a major cause of lost productivity, physician visits and hospitalizations among men and women.

Sources of Facts and Statistics
United Network for Organ Sharing (www.unos.org)
United States Renal Data System (www.usrds.org)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (www.cdc.gov)

The National Kidney Foundation thanks the following sponsors for their support:

Bristol Myers Squibb Novartis
GenentechGenentech