A new global study shows that chronic kidney disease is becoming a major health crisis. The number of people affected has more than doubled in the last 30 years, rising from 378 million in 1990 to 788 million in 2023. This condition is now among the top 10 causes of death worldwide.
The research was led by experts from NYU Langone Health, the University of Glasgow, and the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington.
It focused on chronic kidney disease (CKD), a condition where the kidneys slowly stop working properly. In its early stages, CKD usually has no symptoms. But in the later stages, patients may need dialysis or a kidney transplant to stay alive.
According to the study, about 14% of adults around the world now live with CKD. Around 1.5 million people died from it in 2023 alone. When researchers adjusted for changes in population age over time, this marked a 6% rise in deaths since 1993.
Dr. Josef Coresh, one of the study’s senior authors and director of NYU Langone’s Optimal Aging Institute, said that CKD is a serious public health problem that is only getting worse. He believes it deserves the same level of attention as cancer, heart disease, and mental health.
In May 2023, the World Health Organization added CKD to its list of major health priorities. Their goal is to reduce early deaths from non-infectious diseases by one-third before 2030. Dr. Coresh explained that understanding the current patterns of kidney disease is key to helping governments and doctors respond effectively.
The study, published in The Lancet, is the most detailed report on CKD in nearly a decade. It was also shared at the American Society of Nephrology’s Kidney Week conference. The research is part of the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) project, a long-running effort to track health trends across the world.
To make their estimates, researchers reviewed more than 2,200 studies and data sources from 133 countries. They didn’t just count cases and deaths—they also looked at how much CKD affects people’s daily lives.
One of the study’s biggest findings is that poor kidney function also leads to heart disease. In fact, CKD was responsible for about 12% of deaths from heart problems worldwide in 2023. It was also the 12th leading cause of reduced quality of life. The main risk factors for CKD were high blood sugar, high blood pressure, and obesity.
Most of the people in the study were in the early stages of CKD. Dr. Coresh emphasized that this is an important window for treatment. If people are diagnosed early, lifestyle changes and medication can help slow down or even stop the disease from getting worse.
Unfortunately, access to treatment is not equal everywhere. In poorer regions like parts of Africa, Asia, and Latin America, many people cannot afford or access dialysis or kidney transplants.
Dr. Morgan Grams, another lead researcher from NYU, said that CKD is often not diagnosed in time. She called for more widespread urine testing to catch the disease early and better access to affordable treatments.
She added that new medications introduced in the last five years can help slow the disease and lower the risk of heart attack and stroke. However, it will take time before these new treatments make a difference globally. Because CKD is so often missed, the real number of people living with it might be even higher than this study shows.
The project received funding from the National Institutes of Health, the Gates Foundation, and the National Kidney Foundation. Several research institutions collaborated on the project, including NYU Langone Health, the University of Glasgow, and IHME at the University of Washington.
Dr. Coresh also works with health technology companies, but all relationships were shared and managed according to NYU’s policies.
In summary, chronic kidney disease is now one of the world’s most urgent health challenges. While early treatment can prevent severe outcomes, many people still go undiagnosed or untreated. The study calls for more testing, greater awareness, and faster access to life-saving care around the world.
If you care about kidney health, please read studies about how to protect your kidneys from diabetes, and drinking coffee could help reduce risk of kidney injury.
For more information about kidney health, please see recent studies about foods that may prevent recurrence of kidney stones, and eating nuts linked to lower risk of chronic kidney disease and death.
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