Black veterans with new-onset chronic kidney disease (CKD) have been found to have a significantly higher cumulative incidence of kidney failure compared to their white counterparts, according to a recent study.

The study, which involved a national cohort of 547,188 U.S. veterans with new-onset CKD, revealed that Black veterans had a 2.5-fold higher cumulative incidence of kidney failure compared to white veterans. The research, conducted over a 10-year period, also found that Black veterans were on average 7.8 years younger than white veterans at the onset of CKD.

Dr. Guofen Yan, from the University of Virginia School of Medicine, highlighted the significance of the findings, stating that previous studies on racial differences in kidney failure have been limited and outdated in their methodologies. The study utilized the race-free 2021 CKD Epidemiology Collaboration equation to assess racial differences in kidney failure and death.

It was noted that factors at the time of CKD onset may contribute to the subsequent racial difference in developing kidney failure. The study found that Black veterans consistently faced greater than twofold higher hazards of kidney failure through follow-up, while also experiencing decreased risks of pre-KFRT death between 17% to 48%.

The disparities were partially attributed to the younger age at CKD onset in Black veterans, with the study emphasizing the need to prevent early onset and slow progression of CKD in younger Black adults to reduce the persistent racial disparity in kidney failure in the United States.