- Family history of chronic kidney disease
- Genetics
- Heart disease
- Hypertension, or high blood pressure
- Obesity
- Smoking or tobacco use
- Access to and trust in healthcare
- Socioeconomic issues
Where you live, whether or not you have insurance, and your financial status can also affect your ability to monitor for and treat kidney disease, because these factors have an impact on your access to good doctors, says Dr. Porter. “Do you trust the physician that you see regularly to treat your risk factors?” he asks. “Things that have happened historically affect the way that African Americans interact with and trust in the healthcare system.”
There are also social issues that can increase Black Americans’ risk of kidney disease, many stemming from systemic racism, says Porter. For example, working longer hours or night shifts may lead to a tendency to eat more processed foods or sugary drinks, which increases the risk of obesity and other complications, such as kidney disease, he notes.
Environmental factors also come into play. “Historically, where Black communities have been relegated, [such as] areas that may be near industrial plants … can have environmental factors associated with a higher risk of chronic kidney disease,” says Porter. This may include “lack of access to clean water, which makes them more likely to drink more sugary beverages,” he says. “More empty calories leads to more obesity.”
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