Scientists have revealed alarming new data on the rising burden of chronic kidney disease (CKD) globally, with India holding the second-highest number of cases worldwide as of 2023. According to a comprehensive study published in The Lancet and led by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington, India had approximately 138 million people living with CKD in 2023, second only to China’s 152 million cases.
CKD, a progressive condition characterized by the gradual loss of kidney function, was the ninth leading cause of death globally in the same year, responsible for nearly 1.5 million deaths. It plays a significant role in cardiovascular health, accounting for about 12% of worldwide cardiovascular mortality and ranking as the seventh leading cause of heart-related deaths, surpassing diabetes and obesity.
The research team analyzed data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2023 study, encompassing health trends, disease burdens, and risk factors across 204 countries between 1990 and 2023. Using advanced epidemiological methods and extensive healthcare databases, researchers tracked CKD prevalence, mortality, and associated risk exposures.
Regions with the highest CKD prevalence included North Africa and the Middle East (18%), South Asia (nearly 16%), and Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America (over 15%). Fourteen major risk factors were identified, with diabetes, hypertension, and obesity leading in contributions to the loss of healthy life years from CKD.
Most individuals with CKD remain in early disease stages, emphasizing the urgent need for widespread screening programs and robust preventive interventions. Early identification can reduce heart-related complications and delay progression to end-stage kidney failure, which necessitates costly and resource-intensive treatments like dialysis and transplantation. However, access to such replacement therapies remains inequitable and limited globally.
Senior author Professor Theo Vos highlighted the growing but often overlooked impact of CKD, especially in regions burdened by health disparities. The study underscores the critical importance of improving diagnostic access, affordability of care, and addressing modifiable risk factors to stem the rapidly escalating global CKD crisis.
These findings serve as a clarion call for healthcare policymakers, clinicians, and researchers to prioritize CKD prevention and management within public health agendas, aiming for equitable, early-stage interventions to save lives and reduce healthcare burdens worldwide.
REFERENCE: Global, regional, and national burden of chronic kidney disease in adults, 1990–2023, and its attributable risk factors: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2023; Mark, Patrick B et al.; The Lancet, doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(25)01853-7
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