The kidneys quietly perform some of the body’s most important jobs every minute of every day.
They clean the blood, remove waste into urine, balance water and minerals, help control blood pressure, and support the production of healthy red blood cells.
Because the kidneys work so efficiently, people often do not notice a problem until a large amount of kidney function has already been lost. This makes chronic kidney disease one of the most dangerous silent illnesses.
Millions of people around the world live with chronic kidney disease, and many remain undiagnosed.
The condition increases the chances of heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, and premature death. As diabetes becomes more common worldwide, scientists have become increasingly concerned that it may also be changing the pattern of kidney disease.
Researchers from Boston University recently examined this question by studying national health data collected between 2013 and 2023.
Their research, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, showed that the overall number of Americans living with chronic kidney disease remained fairly stable at about one in seven adults. However, the proportion of cases caused by diabetes rose substantially over the decade.
The team analyzed data from more than 25,000 adults who participated in a large government health survey. Blood and urine samples were used to identify kidney disease.
One test measured how effectively the kidneys filtered waste products, while the other looked for abnormal amounts of protein leaking into the urine.
The results showed that diabetes-related kidney disease increased from 4.7 percent to 5.7 percent of adults, while kidney disease unrelated to diabetes remained almost unchanged. This suggests that diabetes is becoming an increasingly important driver of kidney damage in the United States.
The study also revealed persistent health inequalities. Black Americans continued to experience significantly higher rates of kidney disease than White Americans.
People with lower educational attainment also experienced a growing disadvantage, suggesting that income, education, healthcare access, and other social factors influence kidney health alongside medical conditions.
Researchers found another worrying pattern. Kidney disease is becoming more closely linked with heart disease and diabetes at the same time. Around one-quarter of people with heart disease also have chronic kidney disease. Because these conditions often occur together, experts now believe they should be treated as interconnected diseases rather than separate problems.
Although newer medicines such as SGLT2 inhibitors and finerenone have been developed specifically to protect kidney function in people with diabetes, the study suggests these advances have not yet reduced the overall number of people living with chronic kidney disease. More work is needed to ensure patients receive early diagnosis and the most effective treatments.
This was a large, nationally representative study, making its findings highly valuable for understanding long-term trends.
However, because it was based on survey data, it cannot determine exactly why diabetes-related kidney disease increased. Future studies should explore whether rising diabetes rates, delayed diagnosis, unequal access to treatment, or lifestyle factors explain these changes.
Overall, the findings send an important public health message. Preventing diabetes, controlling blood sugar, managing blood pressure, and screening kidney function regularly may become even more important in the years ahead.
Early detection remains one of the best ways to slow kidney damage and reduce the risk of heart disease, kidney failure, and other serious complications.
If you care about diabetes, please read studies about the cooking connection between potatoes and diabetes, and low calorie diets may help reverse type 2 diabetes.
For more health information, please see recent studies about protein power: a new ally in diabetes management, and pineapple and diabetes: A sweet surprise.
Source: Boston University.
