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  • Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)

    • Meet your kidneys.

    Most people have two kidneys located on either side of the spine, just below the ribs. They are relatively small — about the size of a fist — but they do a lot of work to keep you healthy. Every 30 minutes, they filter all the blood in your body. They also:

    • Remove waste and excess fluid
    • Control red blood cell production
    • Release hormones to regulate blood pressure
    • Regulate levels of calcium, potassium, and other nutrients

    What is CKD?

    CKD occurs when the kidneys are damaged in some way — often by diabetes and high blood pressure — and their ability to filter blood is compromised. This causes the body to retain more fluid and waste than it should, which can lead to heart disease, stroke, and anemia, among other health issues.

    1 in 3

    people in the United States are at risk for kidney disease.2

    1 in 7

    adults in the United States, or 37 million people, have kidney disease.1

    17,000

    people receive a kidney transplant every year.3

    Risk factors for CKD

    Certain factors may make you more likely to develop CKD than other people. These include:

    • Diabetes
    • High blood pressure (hypertension)
    • Heart disease
    • Family history of kidney failure
    • Older age
    • Obesity
    • Smoking

    Symptoms of CKD

    If you have CKD, you may not notice any symptoms. This is why early detection and treatment is important. Symptoms, when they do occur may include4:

    • Fatigue, weakness, and trouble focusing
    • Loss of appetite, nausea, and vomiting
    • Problems sleeping
    • Needing to urinate more often (especially at night)
    • Muscle cramps and swollen feet/ankles
    • Puffiness around the eyes (especially in the morning)
    • Dry and/or itchy skin

    Differences in race and ethnicity

    Populations with higher rates of diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and other risk factors experience higher rates of CKD.4 Access to healthcare also plays a role in these differences:

    • Hispanics or Latinos are more likely to have kidney failure than white Americans.5
    • Black or African Americans are more than three times as likely to have kidney failure than white Americans.5
    • Other affected groups include people whose heritage is Asian American, Pacific Islander, American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, or Other Pacific Islander.5

    What comes next?

    CKD often worsens over time, so it should not be left untreated. If you require a kidney transplant or dialysis, CKD progresses to ESKD. However, there are two important facts to keep in mind:

    • Treatment of CKD can slow this progression
    • Not everyone with CKD progresses to ESKD
    Learn how to manage CKD

    Talk to your doctor.

    If you think you’re at risk of CKD, it’s important to talk to your doctor or a kidney specialist, also known as a nephrologist.