Who are at Risk?

Anyone can get chronic kidney disease at any age. However, some people are more likely than others to develop kidney disease. Some people are more likely to have acute or chronic CKD than others. Risk factors make it more likely that a disease will develop later. High risk groups include:

• Those with diabetes. Almost 40% of new dialysis patients have diabetes, making it the fastest growing risk factor for kidney disease. Type 2 diabetes is the number one cause of kidney failure, responsible for more than one of every three new cases. Lowering blood sugar can help prevent it.
• People who have heart disease
• hypertension. Hypertention puts more stress on blood vessels throughout the body, including the kidney filters (nephrons). Hypertension is the number two cause of kidney failure. Control blood pressure—and perhaps prevent or slow the progress from kidney disease over time.
• Certain illnesses, like glomerulonephritis (inflammation of the filtering units of the kidneys), can damage the kidneys, sometimes enough to cause CKD.
• family history of kidney disease. Be aware of your family history and share it with your doctor.
• Over 60 years old. Since kidney function is reduced in older people, the older you are, the greater your risk.

Some racial and ethnic groups are also more likely to have kidney disease. These include:

• Asian and Pacific Islanders
• Hispanics/Latinos
• Native Americans
• African Americans

Discuss to your doctor about your risk factors. It is important to diagnose Chronic kidney disease early.