Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsOverviewHow Common Is It?By EthnicityBy Age & GenderCauses & Risk FactorsMortality RatesScreening and Early Detection
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Overview
How Common Is It?
By Ethnicity
By Age & Gender
Causes & Risk Factors
Mortality Rates
Screening and Early Detection
About 37 million Americans have chronickidney diseaseor CKD, and 9 out of 10 of those people don’t know they have it.Most people have a pair of kidneys, which are organs located below the ribs that filter the blood to get rid of toxins and process waste to create urine.
“Chronic kidney disease” is a medical term that means one or both kidneys slowly become damaged or less able to filter the blood, and over time, may not be able to filter blood at all.
Learn important facts and statistics you should know about chronic kidney disease.
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Chronic Kidney Disease Overview
Thekidneysare organs located below the ribs that filter the blood to get rid of toxins and process waste to create urine.While most people have two kidneys, some people only have one, or one that works, and are still able to live healthy lives.
Sometimes one or both kidneys can slowly become damaged and less able to filter the blood, eventually not being able to filter at all.This is called chronic kidney disease or CKD.
Chronic Kidney Disease
How Common Is Chronic Kidney Disease?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that about 37 million Americans, over 1 in 7, have chronic kidney disease.
Of those with CKD, it is more common in:
More people are being diagnosed with and dying from CKD than in previous years, and the rates are expected to continue to increase.
Chronic kidney disease affects non-Hispanic Black Americans more than any other race or ethnicity with 16% of adults in this community experiencing the condition.Compared to White Americans, Black Americans have a nearly 4 times greater incidence of CKD.
Chronic kidney disease may affectBlackAmericans at higher rates because people of this population:
Hispanic Americans, non-Hispanic Asian Americans, and non-Hispanic White Americans experience CKD at similar rates to one another, at 13.6%, 12.9%, and 12.7%, respectively.
The risk of developing chronic kidney disease increases with age, and people who are 65 and older are most likely to experience the condition.This is partially because organ function can decrease over time, but also because other health conditions such as diabetes can damage the kidneys.
Even though the risk increases with age, it is possible for children to develop CKD due to birth defects, illnesses passed down from parents,infections, and other causes.
Women are more likely to experience chronic kidney disease than men, but there is not a big difference in the risk between the two groups.
Age
Chronic kidney disease becomes more common with age, especially among people who are 65 years old and older.This is because:
The percentage of adults with CKD increases with age, as follows:
It is estimated that less than 0.01% of children experience chronic kidney disease, but the exact number is unclear.While CKD is rare in children, the rates are increasing and it is becoming more common.
Gender
Compared to men, women are more likely to experience chronic kidney disease, with the condition affecting 12% of men and 14% of women.
It is not fully understood why more women than men have CKD. However, it may be because:
Causes of Chronic Kidney Disease and Risk Factors
Factors for chronic kidney disease that raise the incidence of CKD include:
What Are the Mortality Rates for Chronic Kidney Disease?
Chronic kidney disease is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States and is responsible for nearly 16 deaths per 100,000 people.There are 96 deaths per 1,000 people age 65 and older with CKD.However, there aretreatments, such asdialysis, that decrease the death rates.
Treatments that decrease themortality ratesof chronic kidney disease include:
Survival RateThesurvival rateis the percentage of people who survive a disease such as chronic kidney disease for a specified amount of time. The way it is presented may vary.
Survival Rate
Thesurvival rateis the percentage of people who survive a disease such as chronic kidney disease for a specified amount of time. The way it is presented may vary.
People in the earlierstages of chronic kidney diseaseare more likely to survive, and survival rates of CKD have increased in recent years among all stages. For example, the mortality rate for early-stage CKD dropped from roughly 10 people per 1,000 to 5 people per 1,000, while the mortality rate for stage 5 CKD dropped from roughly 200 to 100 people per 1,000.
One of the best ways to prevent chronic kidney disease is to detect it early with ascreening:
Detecting chronic kidney disease early, getting treatment, and making lifestyle changes can help to keep the kidneys working and preventkidney failure.
Summary
Chronic kidney disease or CKD is a serious medical condition that happens when the kidneys are damaged and do not effectively filter toxins from the body. It is common, affecting 37 million Americans.
Older people, especially those who are 65 years old or older, are at the greatest risk. Other health conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure can lead to CKD. While this is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States, it is preventable and treatable, and survival rates are increasing.
18 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Kidney Foundation.Kidney disease: The basics.National Institutes of Health.Your kidneys and how they work.National Institute of diabetes and digestive and kidney diseases.What is chronic kidney disease?.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Chronic kidney disease in the United States, 2021.Kovesdy CP.Epidemiology of chronic kidney disease: an update 2022.Kidney Int Suppl (2011). 2022;12(1):7-11. doi:10.1016/j.kisu.2021.11.003National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Race, ethnicity, and kidney disease.Harvard Medical School.What’s behind racial disparities in kidney disease?.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) Surveillance System.National Institutes of Health.Kidney disease in children.Masalskienė J, Rudaitis Š, Vitkevič R, Čerkauskienė R, Dobilienė D, Jankauskienė A.Epidemiology of chronic kidney disease in children: a report from Lithuania.Medicina (Kaunas). 2021;57(2):112. doi:10.3390/medicina57020112American Academy of Pediatrics.Chronic kidney disease in children.National Kidney Foundation.Kidney failure risk factor: Gender (sex).National Institutes of Health.Causes of chronic kidney disease.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.CKD risk factors and prevention.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Kidney disease.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Kidney disease statistics for the United States.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Chronic kidney disease surveillance system health consequences.Tonelli M, Dickinson JA.Early detection of ckd: implications for low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries.JASN. 2020;31(9):1931-1940. doi:10.1681/ASN.2020030277
18 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Kidney Foundation.Kidney disease: The basics.National Institutes of Health.Your kidneys and how they work.National Institute of diabetes and digestive and kidney diseases.What is chronic kidney disease?.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Chronic kidney disease in the United States, 2021.Kovesdy CP.Epidemiology of chronic kidney disease: an update 2022.Kidney Int Suppl (2011). 2022;12(1):7-11. doi:10.1016/j.kisu.2021.11.003National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Race, ethnicity, and kidney disease.Harvard Medical School.What’s behind racial disparities in kidney disease?.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) Surveillance System.National Institutes of Health.Kidney disease in children.Masalskienė J, Rudaitis Š, Vitkevič R, Čerkauskienė R, Dobilienė D, Jankauskienė A.Epidemiology of chronic kidney disease in children: a report from Lithuania.Medicina (Kaunas). 2021;57(2):112. doi:10.3390/medicina57020112American Academy of Pediatrics.Chronic kidney disease in children.National Kidney Foundation.Kidney failure risk factor: Gender (sex).National Institutes of Health.Causes of chronic kidney disease.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.CKD risk factors and prevention.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Kidney disease.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Kidney disease statistics for the United States.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Chronic kidney disease surveillance system health consequences.Tonelli M, Dickinson JA.Early detection of ckd: implications for low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries.JASN. 2020;31(9):1931-1940. doi:10.1681/ASN.2020030277
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
National Kidney Foundation.Kidney disease: The basics.National Institutes of Health.Your kidneys and how they work.National Institute of diabetes and digestive and kidney diseases.What is chronic kidney disease?.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Chronic kidney disease in the United States, 2021.Kovesdy CP.Epidemiology of chronic kidney disease: an update 2022.Kidney Int Suppl (2011). 2022;12(1):7-11. doi:10.1016/j.kisu.2021.11.003National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Race, ethnicity, and kidney disease.Harvard Medical School.What’s behind racial disparities in kidney disease?.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) Surveillance System.National Institutes of Health.Kidney disease in children.Masalskienė J, Rudaitis Š, Vitkevič R, Čerkauskienė R, Dobilienė D, Jankauskienė A.Epidemiology of chronic kidney disease in children: a report from Lithuania.Medicina (Kaunas). 2021;57(2):112. doi:10.3390/medicina57020112American Academy of Pediatrics.Chronic kidney disease in children.National Kidney Foundation.Kidney failure risk factor: Gender (sex).National Institutes of Health.Causes of chronic kidney disease.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.CKD risk factors and prevention.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Kidney disease.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Kidney disease statistics for the United States.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Chronic kidney disease surveillance system health consequences.Tonelli M, Dickinson JA.Early detection of ckd: implications for low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries.JASN. 2020;31(9):1931-1940. doi:10.1681/ASN.2020030277
National Kidney Foundation.Kidney disease: The basics.
National Institutes of Health.Your kidneys and how they work.
National Institute of diabetes and digestive and kidney diseases.What is chronic kidney disease?.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Chronic kidney disease in the United States, 2021.
Kovesdy CP.Epidemiology of chronic kidney disease: an update 2022.Kidney Int Suppl (2011). 2022;12(1):7-11. doi:10.1016/j.kisu.2021.11.003
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Race, ethnicity, and kidney disease.
Harvard Medical School.What’s behind racial disparities in kidney disease?.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) Surveillance System.
National Institutes of Health.Kidney disease in children.
Masalskienė J, Rudaitis Š, Vitkevič R, Čerkauskienė R, Dobilienė D, Jankauskienė A.Epidemiology of chronic kidney disease in children: a report from Lithuania.Medicina (Kaunas). 2021;57(2):112. doi:10.3390/medicina57020112
American Academy of Pediatrics.Chronic kidney disease in children.
National Kidney Foundation.Kidney failure risk factor: Gender (sex).
National Institutes of Health.Causes of chronic kidney disease.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.CKD risk factors and prevention.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Kidney disease.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Kidney disease statistics for the United States.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Chronic kidney disease surveillance system health consequences.
Tonelli M, Dickinson JA.Early detection of ckd: implications for low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries.JASN. 2020;31(9):1931-1940. doi:10.1681/ASN.2020030277
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