Racial differences in trends of end-stage renal disease, by primary diagnosis--United States, 1994-2004.

The leading cause of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) (i.e., kidney failure requiring dialysis or transplantation) in the United States is diabetes, followed by hypertension and glomerulonephritis. These three conditions accounted for approximately 80% of new cases of ESRD treated during 2004. This report presents an analysis of data from the United States Renal Data System (USRDS) to examine trends in the primary diagnosis of ESRD in the United States. The findings of that analysis indicated that, during 1994-2004, ESRD incidence attributed to glomerulonephritis decreased among all races analyzed. During 1999-2004, ESRD incidence attributed to diabetes or hypertension also decreased for American Indians/Alaska Natives (AI/ANs) and Asians/Pacific Islanders (A/PIs) but not for whites or blacks. Continued interventions, such as those addressing blood-glucose and blood-pressure control, are needed to reduce the prevalence of these risk factors for kidney failure and to improve care among persons with these conditions.