According to a publication from PR Newswire, a team of five scientists recently had their research published by the American Journal of Kidney Diseases, suggesting that chronic kidney disease might disproportionately affect people in poor neighborhoods with lots of social problems – and consequently, as a result of centuries of discriminatory social practices, people of color.

About Chronic Kidney Disease

Chronic kidney disease (CKD), or chronic kidney failure, causes the slow loss of kidney function.

The kidneys are where waste and excess fluid from your blood are filtered out, later becoming urine. They’re essential for maintaining healthy blood and a healthy body. People with CKD might experience any number of unpleasant symptoms not limited to vomiting, persistent itching, and chest pain.

That’s in addition to the other, more serious complications that can arise from chronic kidney disease like heart disease, anemia, or diminished immune response. In particularly serious or long-lasting cases, CKD can progress to terminal kidney failure – mandating dialysis or transplant for the patient’s survival.

The Role of Race?

The group of five researchers examined a massive pool of data collected over the course of a decade – pouring over the medical histories of some 6,000 men and women living with chronic kidney disease.

CKD rates are much higher in America’s black community than white community, and scientists have determined over the past few years that genetic variations between the two are not great enough to explain the disparity in CKD rates. The data seemed to imply an environmental factor that would disproportionately affect black people – namely “neighborhood social context.”

Authors of the paper believe that neighborhoods with more social problems tend to have more CKD – and more health problems in general. It could be from any number of factors linked to areas with lots of social problems, such as poor access to medical services or inadequate access to healthy food options. Some of the scientists even wondered if psychological elements, such as individual perceptions about the neighborhood, might play a small role in driving up CKD rates.

Knowing that rates of CKD are much higher among adults in America’s black community than white community, one author expressed a hope that the research would prompt further investigation into the role our neighborhoods play in our health.

Certain diseases affect different groups at varying rates. How do we ensure there is adequate medical representation for all people in our scientific research? Share your thoughts with Patient Worthy!