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A silent condition with few symptoms until it is advanced is now killing up to 45,000 people prematurely in the UK every year. About one million people are living with the potentially deadly disease across the country but do not realise they are affected. New research has shown a record number of men and women across the world are now estimated to have reduced kidney function. Figures rose from 378 million people with the disease in 1990 to 788 million in 2023 as the world population grew and aged, making it for the first time a top 10 cause of death worldwide. Led by researchers at NYU Langone Health, the University of Glasgow, and the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington, the analysis explored the rise of the illness, in which the kidneys gradually lose their ability to filter waste and excess fluid from the blood. Mild cases may have no symptoms, while the most severe stages can require dialysis, kidney replacement therapy, or an organ transplant. The findings revealed that about 14 percent of adults in the world have chronic kidney disease. Results further showed that about 1.5 million people died from the condition in 2023, an increase of more than 6 percent since 1993 when accounting for differences in countries’ age demographics over time. This puts it in the top 10 causes of death in the world. The others are: stroke, ischaemic heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), dementia, lung cancer, diabetes, lower respiratory infections and hypertensive heart disease. “Our work shows that chronic kidney disease is common, deadly, and getting worse as a major public health issue,” said study co-senior author Josef Coresh, MD, PhD , director of NYU Langone’s Optimal Aging Institute . “These findings support efforts to recognise the condition alongside cancer, heart disease, and mental health concerns as a major priority for policymakers around the world.” This May, the World Health Organisation formally added chronic kidney disease to its agenda to reduce early deaths from noncontagious illnesses by one-third before 2030. To combat the epidemic, experts first need an up-to-date understanding of its population trends, says Dr. Coresh, who is also the Terry and Mel Karmazin Professor of Population Health at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. The new report, published online November 7 in the journal The Lancet , is the most comprehensive estimate of the condition in nearly a decade, according to the authors. It was simultaneously presented at the American Society of Nephrology's annual Kidney Week conference . Researchers analysed 2,230 published research papers and national health datasets in 133 countries. Besides looking for patterns in diagnoses and mortality, the team examined the toll of disability brought about by chronic kidney disease. They found that not only CKD was a killer in its own right but also that impaired kidney function was a key risk factor for heart disease, contributing to about 12 percent of global cardiovascular mortality. The results also showed that in 2023, the condition was the 12th leading cause of reduced life quality from disability. Most people with chronic kidney disease in the study were in the early stages of the condition. This is important, says Dr. Coresh, because swift treatment with drugs and lifestyle changes can prevent the need for more dramatic and expensive interventions such as dialysis and kidney transplantation. “Chronic kidney disease is underdiagnosed and undertreated,” said study co-lead author Morgan Grams, MD, PhD . “Our report underscores the need for more urine testing to catch it early and the need to ensure that patients can afford and access therapy once they are diagnosed.” Dr. Grams, the Susan and Morris Mark Professor of Medicine at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine, notes that new medications have become available in the past five years that can slow kidney disease progression and reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke, and heart failure. However, it will take time to see improvements on a global scale. Dr. Grams also cautions that since chronic kidney disease is undertested, it may be even more common than the current results suggest. Chronic kidney disease is usually caused by other conditions that put a strain on the kidneys, says the NHS . Often it's the result of a combination of different problems. CKD can be caused by: You can help prevent CKD by making healthy lifestyle changes and ensuring any underlying conditions you have are well controlled. According to the NHS kidney disease does not tend to cause symptoms when it's at an early stage. This is because the body is usually able to cope with a significant reduction in kidney function. Kidney disease is often only diagnosed at this stage if a routine test for another condition, such as a blood or urine test, detects a possible problem. If it's found at an early stage, medicine and regular tests to monitor it may help stop it becoming more advanced. A number of symptoms can develop if kidney disease is not found early or it gets worse despite treatment. Symptoms can include: This stage of CKD is known as kidney failure, end-stage renal disease or established renal failure. It may eventually require treatment with dialysis or a kidney transplant. The NHS advises: "See a GP if you have persistent or worrying symptoms that you think could be caused by kidney disease. The symptoms of kidney disease can be caused by many less serious conditions, so it's important to get a proper diagnosis. "If you do have CKD, it's best to get it diagnosed as soon as possible. Kidney disease can be diagnosed by having blood and urine tests."
