Chronic Kidney Disease - Women

Chronic Kidney Disease - Women in United States

United States

Chronic kidney disease includes conditions that can cause permanent damage to the kidneys over a long period of time. Risk factors include diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and a family history of kidney failure. Kidney disease can lead to other health problems, like stroke or heart attack. If left unattended kidney disease can worsen and may lead to kidney failure. Kidney failure requires dialysis or a kidney transplant to maintain kidney function. 

Women with chronic kidney disease are at higher risk of pregnancy complications, including high blood pressure, preterm birth and loss of kidney function. 

In 2019, the treatment costs of Medicare beneficiaries with chronic kidney disease were $87.2 billion.

Chronic kidney disease is more common among women than men. The prevalence of chronic kidney disease is higher among:

• Women ages 35-44 compared with women ages 18-34. 
• Hispanic women compared with Asian women.
• Women with less than a high school education compared with college graduates. 
• Women with an annual household income of less than $25,000 compared with those with higher incomes. 

Recommendations to keep kidneys healthy include increasing physical activity, quitting smoking, eating less salt and more fruits and vegetables, managing blood pressure at an appropriate level, and having your kidneys checked during regular checkups.

Chronic kidney disease can be managed by maintaining a healthy lifestyle, using medications to treat contributing factors and avoiding exposures to certain medications, herbal supplements, foods and dyes that are associated with kidney injury.

Healthy People 2030 has objectives related to chronic kidney disease, including reducing the proportion of adults ages with chronic kidney disease and increasing the proportion of adults with chronic kidney disease who know they have it.