Statistics · The Kidney Project (2024)

Nearly 750,000 patients per year in the United States and an estimated 2 million patients worldwide are affected by kidney failure.
Those who live with kidney failureare 1% of the U.S. Medicare population but account for 7% of the Medicare budget.
More than 100,000 patients in the United States are on the kidney transplant list, but last year there were just over 21,000 donor organs available for transplant.
The need for donor kidneys in the United States is rising at 8% per year.

2018 figures

United States

Kidney failure affects almost 750,000 people per year in the United States. The disease disproportionately affects the nation’s minority and low-income patients. Compared to whites:

African Americans are 3.5times more likely to have kidney failure.
Native Americans are 1.5 times more likely to have kidney failure.
Hispanics are 1.5 times more likely to have kidney failure.

Mortality rates vary depending on the kidney failure treatment. After one year of treatment, those on dialysis have a 15-20% mortality rate, with a 5-year survival rate of under 50%. Persons who receive transplants have a survival rate of about 80% after 5 years.

Worldwide

Internationally the numbers are staggering. Estimates are that 2 million people worldwide suffer from kidney failure, and the number of patients diagnosed with the disease continues to increase at a rate of 5-7% per year. Taiwan, Japan, Mexico, the United States, and Belgium currently have the highest prevalence of kidney failure. And while extensive data on worldwide mortality rates is lacking, a 2007 report shows that U.S. mortality risk was 15% higher than in Europe and 33% higher than in Japan on comparable treatment modalities.

Treatment options

At present, kidney failurepatients have two treatment options:

Transplantation

The best current treatment for kidney failureis kidney transplantation, which requires a donor match, major surgery, and a lifetime regimen of immunosuppressant medications to prevent rejection. For those kidney failurepatients able to receive a kidney transplant, the outlook is positive; the five-year survival rate for transplant recipients is over 80%. But:

There is an acute shortage of donor organs for kidney failurepatients. There are more than 100,000 kidney failurepatients on the U.S. transplant wait list. In 2016, 20,161 kidney transplants were performed in the United States.
The need for donor kidneys is rising at 8% per year, yet their availability has not grown to match.
The transplanted live kidney is treated by the body as a foreign object and, as a result, the patient must take immunosuppressants for the life of the transplant. These drugs can have numerous side effects. And because immunosuppressants block the immune system, the transplant recipient is at a greater risk for infections and cancers. The patient’s own immune system is the single largest challenge to the success of a kidney transplant when the donor and recipient are not genetically identical.

Dialysis

The only alternative today to kidney transplantation is dialysis.

Hemodialysis involves pumping a patient’s blood through an external circuit for filtration before it is pumped back into the body. A typical hemodialysis schedule is three sessions per week, for 3-5 hours per session at a medical facility.
Peritoneal dialysis uses the patient’s own abdomen across which waste is exchanged from the blood and flushed out regularly through a permanent tube in the abdomen. Peritoneal dialysis does not require regular trips to a medical facility but still requires regular treatment at home.

Hemodialysis is the far more common type of dialysis—about 90% of all dialysis patients.

While effective in the short term, hemodialysis has drawbacks:

It is confining and inconvenient; patients are tethered to a machine for three- to four-hour sessions in a clinic three times per week.
Dialysis is exhausting for patients and fraught with morbidity and eventual mortality. 35% of hemodialysis patients remain alive after five years of treatment.

Costs

Medicare coverage is extended to a person of any age who requires either dialysis or transplantation to maintain life. The almost 750,000 people who live with kidney failureare 1% of the U.S. Medicare population but account for roughly 7% of the Medicare budget.

Medicare spending for kidney failurepatients is at $35 billion in 2016.
Hemodialysis care costs the Medicare system an average of $90,000 per patient annually in the United States, for a total of $28 billion.
Spending for transplant patient care is $3.4 billion.
The Kidney Project will save the Medicare budget $15 billion annually once the bioartificial kidney is available to eligible patients who are on dialysis or unable to get a transplant.

Sources

United States Renal Data System. 2018 USRDS annual data report: Epidemiology of kidney disease in the United States. National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Bethesda, MD, 2018.

Publications based on USRDS data reported in the Annual Data Report or on the USRDS web site or supplied upon request must include the above citation and the following notice: The data reported here have been supplied by the United States Renal Data System (USRDS). The interpretation and reporting of these data are the responsibility of the author(s) and in no way should be seen as an official policy or interpretation of the U.S. government.

KidneyX Innovation Accelerator Statistics accessed 9/19/19

As an expert in the field of kidney failure and renal health, my extensive knowledge is deeply rooted in a comprehensive understanding of the epidemiology, treatment options, and economic implications associated with this medical condition. I draw upon a wealth of information, including the latest data from reputable sources such as the United States Renal Data System (USRDS) and the KidneyX Innovation Accelerator.

The statistics presented in the provided article highlight the significant impact of kidney failure on a global scale. Nearly 750,000 patients in the United States and an estimated 2 million patients worldwide grapple with the challenges of kidney failure each year. This alarming prevalence underscores the urgency of addressing the various aspects of this condition, ranging from disparities in affected populations to the limited availability of treatment options.

In the United States, kidney failure affects a disproportionately high number of minority and low-income patients. African Americans, Native Americans, and Hispanics are all at increased risk compared to whites, with mortality rates varying based on the chosen treatment. Notably, after one year of dialysis treatment, patients face a 15-20% mortality rate, emphasizing the critical need for effective interventions.

The two primary treatment options for kidney failure, transplantation, and dialysis, are crucial aspects of managing this condition. Kidney transplantation, while offering a positive outlook with an 80% five-year survival rate, faces challenges such as a severe shortage of donor organs. Dialysis, particularly hemodialysis, is a more common but confining alternative, with approximately 90% of dialysis patients undergoing this treatment. However, hemodialysis has drawbacks, including the physical and emotional toll on patients, leading to a 35% survival rate after five years of treatment.

The economic ramifications of kidney failure are substantial, with Medicare coverage playing a pivotal role in supporting patients. The nearly 750,000 individuals with kidney failure represent 1% of the U.S. Medicare population but account for approximately 7% of the Medicare budget, amounting to $35 billion in 2016. Hemodialysis, the more prevalent dialysis method, incurs an average annual cost of $90,000 per patient, totaling $28 billion for the Medicare system. In contrast, spending for transplant patient care is $3.4 billion.

Notably, the Kidney Project emerges as a potential game-changer, promising significant cost savings for the Medicare budget once the bioartificial kidney becomes available to eligible patients on dialysis or those unable to receive a transplant. The Kidney Project's anticipated annual savings of $15 billion underscores the importance of ongoing innovation in the field to improve patient outcomes and alleviate economic burdens.

In conclusion, my expertise in kidney failure encompasses a holistic understanding of its epidemiology, treatment options, and economic implications, making me well-equipped to analyze and interpret the provided article's content.