5 Facts About Kidney Disease Every American Should Know Ahead of World Kidney Day

National Kidney Foundation Highlights Kidney Disease Risks Ahead of World Kidney Day

NEW YORK, March 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- March is National Kidney Month, and ahead of World Kidney Day, the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) is shining a light on kidney disease — a "silent" public health crisis affecting millions of Americans. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) frequently progresses without symptoms until it reaches advanced stages. To raise awareness and encourage early detection, NKF is highlighting five facts every American should know.

Key Kidney Disease Facts (U.S.)

• 37 million adults in the United States have kidney disease.
  
  
• 90% of people with kidney disease do not know they have it.
  
  
• 1 in 3 adults is at risk due to diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, or family history.
  
  
• More than 90,000 Americans are currently waiting for a kidney transplant.
  
  
• 13 people die each day waiting for a kidney transplant.

1. Most People With Kidney Disease Don't Know They Have It

Kidney disease affects more than 37 million adults in the United States, and nearly 90 percent of people with the disease do not know they have it. About one in three adults is at risk due to diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, or family history. Because early CKD often has no symptoms, millions remain undiagnosed until the disease becomes severe.

Simple blood and urine tests can detect kidney disease early, when treatment is most effective. Early detection can slow or even prevent progression to kidney failure.

Through CKDintercept and the development of national Kidney Health Evaluation quality measures, NKF is working with clinicians and health systems to increase recommended kidney testing among at-risk patients.

2. One in Three U.S. Adults Are at Risk for Kidney Disease

About 1 in 3 U.S. adults are at risk for kidney disease due to diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, or family history.

Communities of color face a disproportionate burden. Black Americans are nearly four times as likely as white Americans to develop kidney failure, and Hispanic Americans experience kidney failure at nearly double the rate. Addressing these disparities requires earlier testing, equitable access to care, and evidence-based clinical guidance.

3. Kidney Failure Requires Dialysis or a Transplant

When kidneys fail, patients require dialysis to survive or a kidney transplant. Today, more than 90,000 Americans are on the kidney transplant waiting list, and 13 people die each day waiting for a lifesaving organ. At the same time, thousands of donated kidneys are discarded each year due to outdated evaluation tools and logistical challenges.

Progress is underway. In FY25 alone, NKF-supported innovation helped rescue and transplant more than 400 kidneys that might otherwise have been discarded, and more than 14,000 Black patients had previously lost wait time restored following race-neutral reforms in kidney evaluation. Clinical trials exploring xenotransplantation — the transplantation of genetically modified animal organs into human recipients — are also advancing as a potential solution to the organ shortage.

NKF volunteer advocates helped modernize the Kidney Donor Risk Index (KDRI), reducing unnecessary organ discards, and continue to push bipartisan policies like the Living Donor Protection Act — now enacted in 31 states and advancing at the federal level — to remove barriers to donation. Together, these scientific and policy advances are expanding access to transplantation.

4. Clinical Guidelines Help Detect Kidney Disease Earlier

NKF's Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative (KDOQI) clinical practice guidelines have shaped kidney care for more than two decades. These evidence-based guidelines help clinicians identify kidney disease earlier, improve management of risk factors, and standardize care across the country.

By continuously updating and refining these guidelines, NKF helps ensure patients receive the most current, science-driven care — reducing preventable complications and improving long-term outcomes.

5. Early Testing and Prevention Can Change the Trajectory of Kidney Disease

Kidney disease is not inevitable. Early testing, blood pressure control, diabetes management, and access to evidence-based treatment can dramatically alter its course.

But lasting change also requires sustained investment in research, patient support, clinical guidance, and advocacy. During National Kidney Month, NKF encourages individuals to know their risk, talk to their healthcare providers about testing, and support efforts that expand early detection, accelerate innovation, and protect access to lifesaving treatment nationwide.

"Each March, during National Kidney Month and around World Kidney Day, we shine a light on kidney disease and the millions of Americans affected by it," said Kevin Longino, CEO of the National Kidney Foundation and a kidney transplant recipient. "But shining a light is just the beginning. Our goal is to transform kidney health — increasing awareness, expanding access to care, accelerating innovation and preventing kidney failure whenever possible."

What People Should Do

NKF encourages people to ask their healthcare provider for a simple blood and urine test to check kidney function, particularly if they have diabetes, high blood pressure, or a family history of kidney disease.

As part of its long-term impact strategy, NKF is working to double awareness of kidney disease risk, increase early testing, expand access to transplantation, and accelerate innovation in prevention and treatment.

In recognition of the 37 million Americans living with kidney disease, all non-event gifts made before midnight on March 31, 2026, will be matched dollar-for-dollar, up to $37,000.

World Kidney Day, observed globally each March, is designed to raise awareness about kidney health and encourage early testing for those at risk. To learn more about kidney disease, assess your risk, or get involved during National Kidney Month, visit www.kidney.org.

Kidney Disease in the United States: Key Facts
In the United States, more than 37 million adults are estimated to have kidney disease, also known as chronic kidney disease (CKD)—and approximately 90 percent don't know they have it. About 1 in 3 adults in the U.S. are at risk for kidney disease. Risk factors for kidney disease include: diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, and family history. People of Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian American, or Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander descent are at increased risk for developing the disease. Black or African American people are about four times as likely as White people to have kidney failure. Hispanics experience kidney failure at about double the rate of White people. 

About the National Kidney Foundation 
The National Kidney Foundation is revolutionizing the fight to save lives by eliminating preventable kidney disease, accelerating innovation for the dignity of the patient experience, and dismantling structural inequities in kidney care, dialysis, and transplantation. For more information about NKF, visit www.kidney.org. 

SOURCE National Kidney Foundation