India Reports 138 Million Chronic Kidney Disease Cases in 2023: Second Highest Globally According to Lancet Study

In 2023, India recorded the second-highest global prevalence of chronic kidney disease with 138 million cases, only behind China's 152 million, according to recent research published in The Lancet journal.

The comprehensive study, conducted by researchers from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington and collaborating institutions in the US and UK, identified chronic kidney disease as the ninth leading cause of death worldwide, resulting in approximately 1.5 million fatalities in 2023.

Regional analysis revealed the highest prevalence rates in North Africa and the Middle East at 18 percent each, followed by South Asia at nearly 16 percent, and Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America/Caribbean regions exceeding 15 percent.

The research highlighted chronic kidney disease as a significant contributor to cardiovascular mortality, accounting for almost 12 percent of heart-related deaths globally. It ranked as the seventh leading cause of cardiovascular mortality, surpassing both diabetes and obesity.

The study identified fourteen risk factors for chronic kidney disease, with diabetes, hypertension, and obesity causing the greatest reduction in healthy life expectancy.

Professor Theo Vos, senior author and professor emeritus at IHME, emphasized, "Chronic kidney disease is both a major risk factor for other leading causes of health loss and a significant disease burden in its own right. Yet, it continues to receive far less policy attention than other non-communicable diseases, even as its impact grows fastest in regions already facing the greatest health inequities."

Researchers analyzed data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2023 study, which tracks disease trends, injuries, and health risk factors across 204 countries and territories from 1990 through 2023, with IHME coordinating this extensive research effort.

Dietary factors, including insufficient fruit and vegetable consumption and excessive sodium intake, were also identified as substantial contributors to chronic kidney disease risk.

The authors noted that in 2023, most chronic kidney disease patients were in early disease stages, underscoring the importance of screening programs and risk mitigation strategies.

These preventive measures could potentially reduce kidney disease-related cardiovascular deaths and delay the need for replacement therapies typically required in advanced disease stages.

Given the limited and unequal global access to kidney replacement therapies, including dialysis and transplantation, researchers emphasized the need for greater focus on preventing disease progression and ensuring equitable care access.

The research team concluded that addressing the growing global burden of chronic kidney disease will require improved access to diagnosis and affordable care, targeted interventions for key risk factors, and investment in strategies that prevent disease progression.