Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a major global public health issue, affecting over 10%1 of the population worldwide. The problem was ranked 16th among the leading causes of death in 2016 and is expected to rise to 5th by 20402, making it a larger problem than heart disease or certain cancers.
| Year: 2016 | Estimated 2040: | |
|---|---|---|
| Disease state | Leading cause of death | Leading cause of death |
| Chronic Kidney Disease | #16 | #5 |
| Ischemic Heart Disease | #17 | #6 |
| Lung Cancer | #30 | #15 |
| Diabetes | #45 | #22 |
And CKD comes with a tremendous cost burden.
Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD): Just the Facts3
15% of U.S. Population
1 in 7 U.S. adults have CKD (without diabetes)
1 in 3 (33% of U.S. population with diabetes, the leading cause)
$70B+ Price Tag
U.S. adults (66+ years) with CKD represent 23.8% of Medicare spending
Double the Per-patient Spending
Annual per-person Medicare spending for patients 66+ with CKD ($23,691) compared with those without CKD ($10,842)
1https://www.kidney.org/kidneydisease/global-facts-about-kidney-disease
2Foreman KJ, Marquez N, Dolgert A, Fukutaki K, Fullman N, McGaughey M, et al. Forecasting life expectancy, years of life lost, and all-cause and cause-specific mortality for 250 causes of death: Reference and alternative scenarios for 2016–40 for 195 countries and territories. Lancet. 2018; 392 (10159): 2052–2090. 10.1016/S0140-6736(18)31694-5 [PMC free article] [PubMed] [CrossRef] [Google Scholar]
3https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/health-statistics/kidney-disease