Minority Groups With Diabetes More Likely to Develop CKD

‍

“Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure and resulting transplants or dialysis in the United States and the number of new diabetes patients is projected to increase in the coming decades”. - Dr. Katherine Tuttle

The federal government along with the healthcare system in the United States have been working to try to decrease the number of patients who develop Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), and some progress has been made. However, there is still a high percentage of Chronic Kidney Disease among adults who are diabetic, and the rates are significantly higher in minority communities.  A recent report published in the New England Journal of Medicine, (Incidence of Chronic Kidney Disease among adults with diabetes, October 13,2022) detailed a study that reviewed the medical records of approximately 650,000 patients. Researchers examined the electronic health records from patients at Providence and UCLA from 2015 to 2020, looking to find how many patients with diabetes progressed to Chronic Kidney Disease. 

The review of these records found that Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, Black, Native American, and Hispanic patients with diabetes had disproportionately much higher rates of chronic kidney disease than white patients.  

• Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders had rates that were 60% higher than white patients. 
• Black patients rates showed they were 40% higher than white patients. 
• Native Americans were 33% higher.
• Among Hispanic patients the rate was 25% higher.

Katherine Tuttle, who was a lead author of the published study said that among the patients who were in the early stages of Chronic Kidney Disease, less than 10% were aware of it. Tuttle concluded that this meant that “annual testing is falling by the wayside, which delays the beginning of treatment”. In an interview with Axios she said, “We could prevent many deaths, and among the living keep people healthy, but if we’re not identifying the patients, we can’t keep people healthy”. 

Although the rate of chronic kidney disease in patients with diabetes did decline in the overall general population in the same time period as the study, 2015-2020, Tuttle says she expects that downward trend to reverse due to the projections of increasing diabetes cases nationally.  She added that “this is important, serious, and treatable”.

‍

References

New England Journal of Medicine

Axios

‍

About the Author

Monica McCarthy has bachelors in Political Science and Criminal Justice from Central Washington University.  A majority of her career was spent as a political consultant.   She currently works at KidneyLuv as a staff writer.

‍

‍

‍

‍

‍

‍

‍

Patient Education Disclaimer

This material is for informational purposes only. It does not replace the advice or counsel of a doctor or health care professional. KidneyLuv makes every effort to provide information that is accurate and timely, but makes no guarantee in this regard. You should consult with, and rely only on the advice of, your physician or health care professional.

‍