Diseases that lead to Kidney Disease Incidence of End Stage Renal Disease by Age Incidence of End Stage Renal Disease for Minorities References Each year in the United States, nearly 80,000 people are diagnosed with kidney failure, a serious condition in which the kidneys fail to rid the body of wastes.(1) Diabetes  and hypertension are the most common causes of kidney failure (also known as end stage renal disease.) Racial and ethnic minorities are disproportionately affected by these diseases and therefore are at an increased risk for developing kidney disease. Diseases that Lead to End Stage Renal Disease End Stage Renal Disease (ERSD) can be the result of another major illness. In 2001, approximately 138,483 diabetic patients developed ERSD, while 91,636 hypertensive patients, 60,888 glomerulonephritic patients, and 17,112 cystic kidney patients also developed this disease.(2) Back to Top Incidence of End Stage Renal Disease by Age There was a drastic increase in the reported incidence of ERSD from 1992 to 2002.  In 1992, the largest incidence of ERSD occured in the 70-74 age group, while in 2002 the largest incidence was in the 75-84 age groups. In 1992, the largest incidence in any age group was 944 per million population.(2) In 2002, the largest incidence in any age group was 1620 per million population.(2) Incidence of End Stage Renal Disease among Minorities The U.S. incidence rate of ERSD among African Americans is at least 3.5 times greater than than whites and there are likely to be higher incidences of ERSD among Mexican Americans and Native Americans than among whites.(3) Among those patients with diabetes, African American race is a strong predictor for the development of diabetic retinopathy and progression to ERSD.(4,5) Back to Top References 1. Tierney WM, Harris LE, Copley JB, Luft FC. Effect of hypertension and type II diabetes on renal function in an urban population. Am J Hypertens 1990;3(1):69-75. 2. U.S. Renal Data System, USRDS 2004 Annual Data Report: Atlas of End-Stage Renal Disease in the United States,National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Bethesda, MD, 2004. Available at http://www.usrds.org 3. Feldman HI, Klag MJ, Chiapella AP, Whelton PK. End-stage renal disease in US minority groups. Am J Kidney Dis 1992;19(5):397-410. 4. Smith SR, Svetkey LP, Dennis VW. Racial differences in the incidence and progression of renal diseases. Kidney Int 1991;40(5):815-22. 5. Brancati FL, Whittle JC, Whelton PK, Seidler AJ, Klag MJ. The excess incidence of diabetic end-stage renal disease among blacks. A population-based study of potential explanatory factors. JAMA 1992;268(21):3079-84.     This page was supported by a National Library of Medicine (NLM) Publication Grant #5G08 LM07653-02 for Factline: Tracking Health in Underserved Communities, www.factline.org. Saqi S. Maleque, MSPH, Researcher, Principal Investigator: Virginia Brennan, PhD.