Incidence of end-stage renal disease among persons with diabetes--United States, 1990-2002.

Diabetes mellitus is the leading cause of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) (i.e., kidney failure requiring dialysis or transplantation) in the United States, accounting for 44% of new cases of treated ESRD in 2002. To examine trends in ESRD attributed to diabetes mellitus (ESRD-DM) in the United States, CDC analyzed 1990-2002 data from the United States Renal Data System (USRDS) and the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). This report summarizes the findings of that analysis, which indicated that, although the number of new cases of ESRD-DM increased overall, the incidence of ESRD-DM among persons with diabetes is not increasing among blacks, Hispanics, men, and persons aged 65-74 years, and is declining among persons aged <65 years, women, and whites. Continued interventions to reduce the prevalence of risk factors for kidney disease and improve diabetes care are needed to sustain and improve these trends.