Racial disparities in kidney transplantation access are highest among young adults

In a retrospective study of adults initiating kidney failure treatment during 2011-2018, disparities in kidney transplantation by race were highest among patients age 22-44 years of age. Within this age group, kidney failure was treated by kidney transplantation among 10.9% of White patients but only 1.8% of Black and 4.4% of Hispanic patients.

Research has shown wide racial/ethnic disparities in use of kidney transplantation and home dialysis, yet how age interacts with these disparities is unknown. In a study published in the American Journal of Kidney Diseases (AJKD), researcherd compared use of kidney replacement therapies between racial/ethnic groups among patients with incident kidney failure, within age strata, using registry data for 830,402 US adults (>21 years) during 2011- 2018. Absolute disparities in transplantation and home dialysis (outcomes measured at 90 days after treatment initiation) were most pronounced among patients aged 22-44. After adjusting for numerous patient-level factors, the largest disparities were observed for transplantation among adults age 22-44. These findings suggest that needs of younger adults should be emphasized in designing interventions to reduce disparities in access to preferred kidney replacement therapies.

JOURNAL
American Journal of Kidney Diseases

DOI
10.1053/j.ajkd.2021.12.012