In the United States, renal disease does not affect everyone the same. Minority populations historically have higher rates of underlying causes that increase the risk for developing kidney disease such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity. Other factors- such as access to affordable healthcare and racial discrimination in housing, education, food, and employment- also play a role in these disparities.
African Americans
African Americans are more at risk for kidney failure than any other race in the United States. On average, more than 1 in 3 kidney failure patients living in the United States are African American. Similarly, African Americans with diabetes develop kidney failure more often than whites with kidney failure.
Hispanics
Diabetes is the primary cause of kidney failure in patients, accounting for nearly 40% of all cases. Unfortunately, Hispanics are significantly more likely to be diagnoses with diabetes than whites, and it is estimated that 1 in 8 Hispanics has the disease.
Native Americans
Similarly to the Hispanic population, Native Americans are nearly twice as likely to develop kidney failure, and also twice as likely to die from diabetes than white individuals. Some experts attribute this to the fact that 1 in 3 adult Native Americans have high blood pressure, and another 1 in 3 are uninsured.
Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders
Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders tend to get diabetes significantly less than other racial and ethnic groups. Despite this, there are specific populations at higher risk of developing diabetes and renal disease. Native Hawaiians and Filipinos in Hawaii die from diabetes 6 times and 3 times more than whites, respectively.
Additional Resources on Race/Ethnicity in Renal Disease
- https://www.kidneyfund.org/all-about-kidneys/risk-factors/raceethnicity-kidney-disease-riskfactors#:~:text=African%20Americans%20are%20more%20at,failure%20in%20the%20United%20States.
- https://www.kidney.org/atoz/content/minorities-KD
- https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/whats-behind-racial-disparities-in-kidney-disease-2021020321842
- https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2020/the-racial-inequities-of-kidney-disease