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Kidney Fact Sheet

Kidney Disease is common, chronic, and harmful!
  • In the United States, 31 million people have chronic kidney disease, and millions more are at risk. At the end of 2011, 50,273 persons were receiving renal replacement therapy (dialysis and transplant combined) in Texas. Of these 39,177 were receiving dialysis and 11,114 had functioning transplants.
  • More than 500,000 Americans have end-stage renal disease (ESRD), when kidneys fail and dialysis or a kidney transplant is needed to sustain life.
  • The U.S. has the second highest incidence (new cases) of ESRD in the world, surpassed only by Taiwan.
  • The incidence of ESRD in Texas exceeds the national rate!
  • YOU or someone you know may be at risk!
  • YOU are at risk for kidney disease if you have diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, or a family history of kidney disease.
  • YOU are at increased risk for kidney disease if you are African-American, Hispanic, Native American or Asian/Pacific Islander.
  • Early detection is important because kidney disease can be treated and managed!
  • In the early stages of kidney disease, there may be no symptoms.  Many people are not diagnosed until they are in kidney failure.  The only way to know if you have kidney disease is to get tested.
  • If you have diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, or a family history of kidney problems, you need to get tested for kidney disease!  Call your doctor today.
  • Your doctor will do three simple tests: a urine test, a blood test, and a blood pressure measurement.
  • The earlier kidney problems are detected, the better chance you have of slowing the disease’s progression and managing its many complications, including premature death from heart disease or kidney failure.  Treatment is available!
  • Kidney disease is common, harmful and expensive!
  • The U.S. spends more than 49 billion Medicare dollars each year on CKD, in the stages before dialysis or transplantation is needed.  As shown in the diagram below, CKD patients represent only 8.7% of the Medicare population, but spend 24.5% of the Medicare budget! 
  • ESRD is also very costly.  The U.S. spends 22.7 billion Medicare dollars each year on ESRD.  Non-Medicare costs approach $11 billion, bringing total expenditures for ESRD to almost $34 billion per year!
  • Kidney disease can be prevented, treated and managed!
  • Know your risk factors!  Know your numbers!  Get tested!  Get treated!
  • And show a little love for your kidneys.

Public Health Risks

  • The U.S. incidence and prevalence of end-stage renal disease (ESRD, kidney disease requiring dialysis or transplantation) rose progressively during the past 20 years. The number of patients with kidney failure is expected to increase between 2000 and 2010, from 372,407 to 661,330. In Texas, the number of dialysis patients (27,000 in 2002) is expected to increase to 48,000 by 2010.

  • ESRD treatments are funded approximately 80% through Medicare, but does not cover 20% of the treatment costs, the first 90 days of treatment in many patients, oral medications or transportation costs to and from dialysis and transplant centers. * The Texas Kidney Health Care (KHC) program budget of $27 million/year funds several of these costs not covered by Medicare.  The KHC program is unique to Texas but benefits for low income ESRD patients are being reduced because of the dramatic increase in ESRD patients.  ESRD expenditures are expected to increase 50% by 2010. Source: USRDS 2003 Annual Report

  • 20 million Americans have chronic kidney disease (CKD), and another 20 million are at risk of developing CKD. As the second most populous US state, Texas is estimated to have more than 1.5 million CKD patients and another 1.5 million individuals at risk for CKD. Most are unaware they have this disorder or that they are at risk.

  • Individuals with diabetes, hypertension and relatives of patients with kidney disease are at increased risk for CKD. The disease disproportionately affects minorities and the elderly.

  • Kidney disease is listed as the 9th leading cause of death but is almost certainly being under reported. CKD patients have a greater likelihood of death than of progression to ESRD.

  •  The major cause of death in kidney patients is cardiovascular disease (CVD). CVD mortality is 10 to 30 times higher in dialysis patients than in the general population. CKD patients have a greater likelihood of death from CVD than of reaching ESRD.

  • Effective treatments are available to reduce morbidity and mortality, resulting from kidney disease and its complications, and to retard progression to kidney failure. However, CKD is not being detected sufficiently early to initiate treatment regimens and reduce death and disability. A public health approach would contribute substantially toward early detection and treatment and provide better outcomes than currently experienced.