Risk factors for kidney disease
Learn about diabetes, high blood pressure, and other diseases and health conditions that give you a higher chance of having kidney disease and kidney failure
Risk factors for kidney disease
Learn about diabetes, high blood pressure, and other diseases and health conditions that give you a higher chance of having kidney disease and kidney failure.
Risk factors are things that give you a higher chance of having a condition, such as kidney disease. Having one of these risk factors does not mean that you will get kidney disease. But if you do, and you find and treat kidney disease early, you may be able to prevent it from getting worse.
Anyone can get kidney disease, but some people have a higher probability because they have one or more risk factors. Diabetes and high blood pressure are the leading risk factors for kidney disease in the U.S. If you have any of these risk factors, ask your doctor how often they should check how well your kidneys are working and look for signs of kidney disease.
Diabetes
Diabetes is the leading risk factor for kidney disease and the most common cause of kidney failure. High blood sugar from diabetes damages your kidneys and lowers their ability to filter waste and fluid from your blood. Over time, this causes kidney disease. If you have diabetes, healthy eating, being active and taking medicine can help slow or avoid damage to your kidneys.
High blood pressure
High blood pressure is another leading risk factor for kidney disease and the second most common cause of kidney failure, after diabetes. When you have high blood pressure, the force of your blood flowing through the tiny blood vessels in your kidneys can cause damage. High blood pressure can also be a symptom of kidney disease. Keeping your blood pressure under control can help prevent kidney disease or keep it from getting worse.
Race, ethnicity and kidney disease
People who are African American, Hispanic or Latino, Native American or Asian American have a higher chance of having kidney disease and kidney failure. Doctors and researchers are not exactly sure why, but they think it may be because diabetes and high blood pressure are more common in these groups.
Black and Hispanic people are more likely than white people to develop kidney disease and face delays in diagnosis and treatment. Learn more about Kidney Health for All and how access to health education can help all people prevent and manage kidney disease.
Explore Kidney Health for All
Family history
Kidney disease also runs in families. You may be more likely to get kidney disease if you have a close relative with kidney disease.
Both diabetes and high blood pressure run in families. You may be at risk for these diseases if a close relative (parent, grandparent or sibling) has been diagnosed with one or both of them. Diabetes and high blood pressure are the most common causes of kidney disease.
Heart disease
Having chronic kidney disease (CKD) means you are more likely to get heart disease. CKD can cause heart disease, and heart disease can cause CKD. In fact, heart disease is the most common cause of death among people on dialysis.
The best way to prevent heart disease is to prevent or treat the problems that can cause it, such as diabetes, high blood pressure and anemia.
Obesity
Being overweight (a body mass index of between 25 and 29.9) or obese (a body mass index above 30) means your weight is higher than what is considered a "healthy weight."
Being overweight or obese puts you at greater risk for high blood pressure and diabetes. High blood pressure and diabetes are the two biggest causes of kidney disease. This means that being obese puts you at greater risk for kidney disease.
Smoking or using tobacco
Using tobacco (smoking or chewing) can make your blood pressure go up, which in time can lead to kidney disease. If you already have kidney disease, using tobacco can make kidney disease worse in time. Using tobacco can also cause other serious health problems such as cancer, heart disease and stroke. Quitting can help lower your chance of getting kidney disease or help prevent your kidney disease from getting worse.
If you are looking for help quitting tobacco use, talk to your doctor.