African-Americans have an increased risk of developing kidney disease due to high rates of diabetes, high blood pressure and glomerulonephritis (a disease that damages the glomeruli – the kidney’s filtering units). To help prevent this life-threatening disease, it’s important for African-Americans to visit their doctor regularly to check their blood pressure, blood sugar, urine protein and kidney function. When high blood pressure and diabetes are diagnosed and treated early, serious complications can be prevented.

• Kidney disease affects the African-American community disproportionately compared to other ethnic groups
• African-Americans develop kidney disease at an earlier age than other groups
• Diabetes is the number one cause of kidney failure in African-Americans
• The prevalence of diabetes is highest among African-American women aged 60 to 74 years of age
• The most common type of diabetes in African-Americans is Type 2 diabetes, also called adult on-set diabetes because it occurs in people after age 40. Risk factors include: family history, problems with glucose tolerance, diabetes during pregnancy, hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance, obesity and inadequate physical activity
• African-Americans with diabetes experience kidney failure about four times more often than other groups
• High blood pressure is the second leading cause of kidney failure among African-Americans However, high blood pressure is the number one overall cause of death among African-Americans due to its link to heart attacks and strokes
• Studies show that a great many African-Americans are unaware of the link between high blood pressure and chronic kidney disease. This drives home the importance of having regular blood pressure check-ups.