In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 15% of the population has CKD. Of concern:
- 90% of those with kidney damage or mild reductions in renal function go undiagnosed
- 40% of patients with severely reduced kidney function may not be aware of having the disease
Due to these high rates of undiagnosed CKD, considerable effort is underway to improve clinician education on the subject.
CKD prevalence is linked to numerous factors, that include sex, ethnicity, and socioeconomics. The disease is:
- More common in women (14%) than men (12%)
- More common in non-Hispanic blacks (16%) than non-Hispanic whites (13%) or non-Hispanic asians (13%)
- More common in Hispanics (14%) than non-Hispanic whites (13%)
The risk of death associated with CKD is directly related to decreased renal function. The most common cause of death for people with CKD is cardiovascular disease, far exceeding that associated with renal failure.
