In an analysis of data on US veterans with chronic kidney disease (CKD), risks of kidney failure and death varied for Black compared with White veterans over time, with Black individuals being especially vulnerable in the early years after developing CKD. The research will be presented at ASN Kidney Week 2022 November 3–November 6.
The study included 180,881 White and 32,187 Black veterans who developed CKD from 2003–2008 and were followed through 2018.
During follow-up, the adjusted risk of kidney failure was 30% greater in Blacks than in Whites, but this difference was more pronounced over the early years of CKD onset (for example, a 38% greater risk in years 0–2) than at later years (only 8% greater risk in years 8–10). Despite an overall similar mortality risk after adjusting for major confounding factors, there was a greater risk of death for Blacks during the first 4 years of CKD onset, followed by a lower risk thereafter.
“Black adults are particularly susceptible to kidney failure and death during the first several years of CKD onset. This result demands a stronger urgency for close evaluation in the earlier years of CKD to improve outcomes,”Guofen Yan, PhD, of the University of Virginia.
These risk differences over time were consistent across subgroups, such as those with and without comorbidities including hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. (AK/NW)
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