Kidney failure affects around ten per cent of the American population

By Geoff Michaels, April 24th, 2013 | Health | 0 Comments

Nearly one in ten Americans has a family history of kidney failure, and these people are at increased risk of the disease.
Kidney failure - sometimes known as end-stage renal disease - is known to run in families. A study from Emory University, Atlanta, reveals just how many Americans have relatives with kidney failure.

The research team looked at a group of over 12,000 black and white Americans aged 45 or more and asked if they had relatives with kidney failure. Around ten per cent reported kidney failure in a first degree relative - that is, a parent, sibling or child. Having a family history of kidney failure was twice as common among African-Americans as among whites. Having a family history of kidney failure was also linked with higher rates of high blood glucose and obesity, which increase the risk of kidney disease. African-Americans, in particular, were more at risk of developing kidney failure themselves if they had a relative with the condition.

Kidney failure is on the increase and one in five of those starting dialysis report having a family member with the same problem. The findings suggest that when a patient is identified as having kidney failure, their family members should be checked out to see if there are ways in which their own risk can be reduced or prevented.