Chronic Kidney Disease Cases to Reach 81 million by 2022

Wednesday 11 September 2013, Amsterdam

The number of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) cases across the US and 5EU will increase from 69.5 million in 2012 to 81 million in 2022, driven mainly by the growing prevalence of conditions such as hypertension, diabetes and obesity, according to a new report from a research and consulting firm.

The company’s latest report states that by 2022, the number of CKD cases in the US, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and UK combined will increase by 1.62%. The US and Germany will have the largest CKD patient populations by the end of the forecast period, with an estimated 46 million and 12 million people affected by the disease, respectively.

This report shows that CKD is more prevalent in women and also among populations aged 65 years and older.

Furthermore, the condition is more common in people of African and South Asian origin, due to the high hypertension rates in those of African heritage and the significant numbers of diabetes sufferers in South Asia.

Dr. Suman Chowdary, Senior Epidemiologist, says: “Diabetes is the major risk factor for CKD because it is associated with significant cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. This is due to the high concentration of glucose in the blood for long periods of time, which overloads the kidneys as they work harder to filter the blood more often.”

Currently, there is no cure for CKD, but various treatments have proven successful in slowing the deterioration of kidney function caused by the disease.

“When the kidneys fail in the advanced stages of CKD, patients are advised to undergo renal replacement therapy (RRT), which includes renal dialysis and kidney transplantation to sustain and maintain their lives. Such treatments have also proven to benefit blood pressure, and the balance of chemicals for the functioning of the heart and muscles, as well as the production of vitamin D and red blood cells,”concludes Chowdary.

This report provides an overview of the risk factors and global trends of chronic kidney disease in the six major markets (US, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and UK). It includes a 10-year epidemiological forecast (2012–2022) of the prevalent cases of chronic kidney disease segmented by age, sex and stage. This report was built using data and information sourced from proprietary databases, primary and secondary research, and in-house analysis conducted by a team of industry experts.