Authors: Julie R. Ingelfinger, Clifford J. Rosen
Summary: The number of people who die from kidney disease every year has risen over the past decade and is now estimated at 5 million to 10 million worldwide. The increase in rates of obesity — along with associated rates of type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease — has principally driven the elevated mortality. More than 660,000 Americans have reached the point of requiring intervention for end-stage kidney disease, with 468,000 receiving dialysis and more than 193,000 undergoing kidney transplantation, leading to a major public health and economic burden.
Source:
New England Journal of Medicine, 2019