Chronic Kidney Disease – Risk Factors and Prevention (Why Black Americans are at higher risk of Chronic Kidney Disease)

Chronic Kidney Disease – Risk Factors and Prevention (Why Black Americans are at higher risk of Chronic Kidney Disease)

Chronic kidney disease is a condition where your kidneys lose their ability to filter waste and fluid from your blood. This can lead to serious health problems such as heart disease, stroke and kidney failure.

Due to genetics, higher rates of hypertension and diabetes, and socioeconomic issues, the Black community faces a higher risk of chronic kidney disease. 

Dr. Ivan Porter II, a Mayo Clinic Nephrologist, discusses how to reduce the risks.

“There are multiple factors that correspond to African Americans, Black individuals having more Chronic Kidney Disease. Including diet – which also plays a role in diabetes and high blood pressure, the leading causes of chronic kidney disease”.

“There’s also a genetic factor. An estimated 13% of Black Americans have a gene variation that puts them at higher risk. APOL1 is a genetic variant that’s been recognized. It’s an abbreviation for apolipoprotein L1. Not everyone who has the gene variation has kidney disease, but the presence makes it more likely”.

“Those socioeconomic factors, and hypertension and diabetes, makes someone with those genetic factors more likely to develop kidney disease as well”.

“That’s why awareness can lead to prevention. “We can’t change our genetics. We certainly can control our blood pressure. We can make a difference with our diabetes control. We can try to eat healthier. We can try to exercise – all things that we know correspond to less diabetes, less hypertension and, because of that, less kidney disease”.