Targeting The Uneven Burden of Kidney Disease on Black Americans

Those of African, Hispanic, Asian, Pacific Islander, American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander descent have a higher chance of developing renal disease.

More than three times as many people of African descent and more than one and a half times as many people of Hispanic or Latino descent develop kidney failure in the United States than White people.

Targeting The Uneven Burden of Kidney Disease on Black Americans

A Brief Explanation of Renal Disease.

The functions of a pair of healthy kidneys are numerous. They aid in the elimination of waste and water retention, the production of red blood cells, the maintenance of healthy bones, and the regulation of blood pressure.

Damage to the kidneys prevents them from performing their vital functions properly in people with renal disease. Injury or illness, such as diabetes or hypertension, are two possible causes of kidney failure.

It’s possible that a person with renal illness will need to take medication, watch their salt intake, avoid particular foods, increase their physical activity, and take on other lifestyle changes.

Kidney Disease Seems to be Very Common; can Anyone Develop it?

Kidney illness can affect people of any age. There are, however, those who are more predisposed to contracting the illness.

Kidney disease is caused by these five key risk factors:

  • Diabetes (you or your family)
  • Disorders of the cardiovascular system (you or your family)
  • coronary illness (you or your family)
  • Ancestral risk factors for renal disease, diabetes, or hypertension
  • Obesity

Other Key Risk Factors for Kidney Disease:

  • Backgrounds in the African Diaspora, the Hispanic or Latino Diaspora, the Asian American Diaspora, the Native American Diaspora, the Alaska Native Diaspora, and the Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander Diaspora
  • 60 years old and up
  • Underweight babies
  • Overuse of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen and naproxen
  • Autoimmune diseases like lupus
  • Persistent infections of the urinary tract
  • Kidney stones

The first step toward a healthier lifestyle is learning your personal risk for developing kidney disease. Knowing your risk is now simpler than ever before.

Why do People of Colour have a Higher incidence of Renal Disease?

Compared to White Americans, those of certain minority groups are more prone to suffer from diabetes. Diabetic adults make up 13% of the Black/African American population and 13.2% of the Latino population. Native Americans from the United States of America and Alaska are at twice the risk of developing diabetes as Caucasian Americans. Diabetes can cause complications including renal disease and kidney failure.

The prevalence of diabetic kidney disease among Asian Americans aged 30–39 increased by 100% between 2000 and 2010, according to a new study. Hispanics and Latinos are disproportionately affected by diabetes-related kidney failure.

What Part does Ease of Access to Care Play?

It’s possible that minoritized communities in the United States have lower rates of access to medical care than do majority-white communities. For example, surveys indicated that around one-third of Hispanics or Latinos, 20% Blacks or African Americans, and nearly 1 out of 3 American Indians and Alaska Natives were uninsured.

Kidney disease is often not recognised until its advanced stages in individuals of colour. When kidney disease has already progressed that far, no further treatment is possible.