Kidney Disease toll is higher among blacks
By Brad Maxwell
Kidney Disease is four times more likely to develop in African Americans than in whites, according to a fact sheet the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control released in February, and South Carolina health groups are pushing for increased education in local communities.
Blakely Hallman, marketing coordinator for the National Kidney Foundation of South Carolina, said the organization has been pushing a local awareness campaign for about a year on urban radio stations and billboards.
Hallman said the key to saving lives is making individuals aware of who is at risk and what treatments are available.
“People really have to be investors in their own health. Your regular doctor is probably not going to do it,” she said.
One in eight South Carolinians have Chronic Kidney Disease and 75 percent of South Carolina kidney patients are African American. The statistics are worse in certain South Carolina counties, Hallman said, with one in three suffering from the disease in Bamberg County and one in four in Orangeburg County.
The most recent statistics show that in 2006, 40 black males died of Kidney Disease in South Carolina compared to 16 white males. The disparity has been a trend for years as the disease typically stems from diabetes and high blood pressure, conditions many African Americans are genetically predisposed to, Hallman said.
As the mortality rate of Kidney Disease continues to rise in South Carolina and remain above the national rate of about 14 deaths per year, public health officials continue to say giving the public more information is key.
Teri Browne, an assistant professor in the USC College of Social Work, has looked specifically into African American knowledge of the disease in her research.
“There is a lack of understanding particularly in the African American community about kidney disease, how it’s caused and how you can treat it,” Browne said. “Many don’t know that if family members have it, they’re more likely to have it, some of it can be preventable, and you can slow down the progression.”
Hallman said the NKFSC has targeted rural areas of the state with their Kidney Early Evaluation Program. The program provides free screenings in areas with populations that have a high risk of kidney disease.
“As part of the screenings we weigh them, draw blood, have a questionnaire,” she said. “We also always have a nurse or someone who can help them interpret their results.”
Hallman said through other initiatives focused on educating general practitioners about kidney disease the organization has seen an increase in referring kidney patients to specialized doctors earlier.
Browne also noted that most U.S. states show issues of kidney transplant disparity between whites and African Americans. However, statistics reflect South Carolina doesn’t show the same disparity. With the exception of 2008 when whites received eight more transplants than African Americans, every year prior showed African Americans received more transplants than whites since 1988, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Browne said South Carolina might not be in line with national statistics because of an overwhelmingly higher African American population. She said while her research shows African Americans generally desire transplants just as much as whites, there are other factors that contribute to a national disparity.
“African Americans are less likely to have someone in their social network who knows how to get a kidney transplant,” Browne said.
Having been a dialysis social worker for 13 years in all or predominately African American areas, Browne said she has seen how a lack of education of the transplant process keeps people from seeking out help. She said many don’t understand what getting a transplant means: getting in touch with a transplant center, finding out if you’re suitable for a transplant, and being put on a waiting list.
“That’s a complex process, it takes someone with some medical savvy as well as self efficacy and self determination to navigate the right path,” she said.
Browne is hopeful that strong public efforts are being made to increase public education of the disease and transplants. The congressional passage of the Medicare Improvement for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 included a change in many dialysis stipulations for the first time in nearly 30 years, she said. The bill requires dialysis units to put a lot more effort into educating patients about transplants and actively helping patients to get them.
“I think this is probably the best thing that’s happened for dialysis patients,” Browne said. RCT