Further trends in the etiology of end-stage renal disease in African-Americans.
Publications in the past year have continued to shed light on the etiology of the excess risk of end-stage renal disease end-stage renal disease among African-Americans. Prospective data now show that even mild elevations in blood pressure are associated with an increased risk of end-stage renal disease. The prevalence of hypertension among African-Americans has been declining, but remains much higher than among White people. Management of hypertension is the best avenue to prevent much of the excess burden of end-stage renal disease, but the relative merits of different agents and levels of blood pressure control are still under study. In addition, individuals with human immunodeficiency virus-related end-stage renal disease represent a small but rapidly growing number of patients that are predominantly African-American. Studies are underway to examine ethnic differences and risk factors for the earlier stages of renal disease as well as genetic mutations for non-Mendelian forms of end-stage renal disease.
Coresh
J
J
Welch Center for Prevention, Epidemiology and Clinical Research, Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, USA. coresh@jhu.edu
Jaar
B
B
D016263:AIDS-Associated Nephropathy / Q000209:etiology; D044383:Black People / Q000235:genetics; D003928:Diabetic Nephropathies / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D006977:Hypertension, Renal / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D001741:Black or African American