Kidney Facts
- Kidney disease, also known as “chronic kidney disease (CKD),” causes more deaths each year than breast cancer or prostate cancer. It is the under-recognized public health crisis. NKF Kidney Disease Fact Sheet
- About 35.5 million U.S. adults are estimated to have kidney disease—that’s more than 1 in 7 (14%). NKF Kidney Disease Fact Sheet
- About 9 in 10 adults with kidney disease (90%) do not know they have it. NKF Kidney Disease Fact Sheet
- People with kidney disease may not feel ill or notice symptoms until the disease is advanced. NKF Kidney Disease Fact Sheet
- About 1 in 3 (33%) adults with severe kidney disease* don’t know they have it.
- Kidney disease is the 8th leading cause of death in the U.S. NKF Kidney Disease Fact Sheet
- 12 people die every day while on a waiting list for a kidney transplant. NKF Kidney Disease Fact Sheet
- Diabetes is the most common cause of kidney disease. Diabetes and hypertension cause or contribute to 2 of 3 new cases of kidney failure. NKF Kidney Disease Fact Sheet
- Two simple tests (blood/urine) can detect kidney disease early. Earliest detection is crucial so that further damage can be slowed or stopped. NKF Kidney Disease Fact Sheet
- Black/African American people have 4 times the incidence of kidney failure (ESKD) as White persons. NKF Kidney Disease Fact Sheet
- 30% of all patients with kidney failure are Black/African American, even though this group is 13% of the U.S. population. NKF Kidney Disease Fact Sheet
- Almost one-third of people on the kidney transplant waitlist are Black/African American. Black/African American transplant recipients are also less likely to receive a kidney from a living donor. NKF Kidney Disease Fact Sheet
- Approximately 1 in 4 Medicare dollars is spent on kidney patients—$156.7 billion and growing. NKF Kidney Disease Fact Sheet
- Without increased investment in prevention, the total number of patients with kidney failure (ESKD) will likely exceed 1 million by 2030. NKF Kidney Disease Fact Sheet
All kidney information sourced from NKF Kidney Disease Fact Sheet + CDC - Chronic Kidney Disease Basics + AKF - American Kidney Fund.