Recent Trends in the Prevalence of Chronic Kidney Disease

Rates of chronic kidney disease (CKD) have stabilized in the United States over recent years. After increasing from 4.8 percent in 1998-1994 to 6.9 percent in 2003-2004, the number of US adults with impaired kidney function has since stopped increasing. Similar trends have occurred in other developed countries. However, CKD has continued to increase among Mexican Americans and African American people in the United States.

Why Has the Prevalence of Chronic Kidney Disease Stabilized?

A study published in 2016 showed that the prevalence of chronic kidney disease decreased or stabilized in all demographic groups except for African Americans between the early 2000s and 2012. Researchers are not entirely sure why CKD rates have mostly stopped increasing in the United States. Some factors that might play a role include improvements in the control of blood pressure, as well as increased control of blood sugar in diabetics. Another important medical development is the increased use of RAS inhibitors, which are medications that protect the kidneys.

Chronic Kidney Disease in Adults With Diabetes

Having diabetes increases the risk of developing chronic kidney disease, particularly when patients do not manage to control their blood sugar through medications and lifestyle changes. Since the late 1980s, the prevalence of diabetes in the United States has increased dramatically. The prevalence of kidney disease among most diabetics has not changed significantly in recent years, but rates of the disease have increased among African Americans and Mexican Americans. Researchers think this trend might have occurred because these groups are less likely to take medications that reduce the risk of kidney disease.

Global Trends in the Prevalence of Chronic Kidney Disease

Besides the United States, several other countries also collect and publish data on the prevalence of CKD. In England and Norway, chronic kidney disease has become slightly less common, despite an increase in two major risk factors, obesity and diabetes. CKD has also decreased slightly in South Korea. On the other hand, an epidemic of CKD is affecting many parts of the developing world. For example, researchers think that China is about to experience a huge upsurge in the rate of CKD, similar to the trend seen in the United States between the 1980s and the early 2000s.

Chronic Kidney Disease Prevalence Rising in Central America

One worrying and surprising trend in the prevalence of chronic kidney disease is that the disease is increasing rapidly among young male agricultural workers in the coastal Pacific regions of Central America. According to researchers, an increase in underlying risk factors such as diabetes and high blood pressure in the region does not entirely explain this trend. Researchers think that the increase in CKD in this particular group might be due to exposure to toxic chemicals, heat stress, and dehydration.

The Future of CKD

Predicting global trends of CKD is somewhat difficult. Not all countries gather data on rates of CKD or keep track of risk factors such as obesity and diabetes. Differences in record keeping can also make it difficult to compare CKD trends between nations. Researchers agree that more systematic collection of high-quality data around the world would improve understanding of CKD trends. This understanding might help public health officials to develop strategies to stop the rise in CKD among vulnerable groups of people.