Updated:2006-07-05 15:13:13
African-Americans and Kidney Transplantation
By Glenn Ellis, BlackDoctor.org
Of the more than 50,000 patients currently waiting for a kidney transplant in the United States, one-third are African-Americans. The leading causes of kidney failure, diabetes and high blood pressure, are more common in African-Americans. In some regions, the percentage African-Americans is even higher than the national average. For example, in some major cities, more than half of the patients waiting for a kidney transplant are African-American. Why is it particularly important for African Americans to learn about their kidneys and to take charge of their health?
The African-American population is hit especially hardby kidney disease. One out of every three people with kidney failure is African-American, compared to only one in eight in the general population. High blood pressure and diabetes are the leading causes of kidney failure. It is not completely understood why, but African Americans get high blood pressure more often, more severely, and at younger ages than other groups.
When someone develops kidney failure they require treatment with dialysis or kidney transplantation. Transplantation requires a kidney, either from a living donor or a cadaveric donor (someone who has died and whose family has consented to organ donation).
African-Americans currently are under-represented in those who are living donors as well as cadaveric donors. Although 33 percent of those waiting for kidneys are African American, only 16 percent of living kidney donors were African-American between 1988 and 2001. During that same time period, only 11 percent of cadaveric donors were African-Americans. Several factors might explain this shortage. Diabetes and high blood pressure, are both common in African-Americans. These disorders prevent many willing volunteers from being considered as potential donors because they increase the risk for kidney problems in the future. But this does not explain all of the difference in donation rates. One possibility is that a lack of knowledge about kidney donation limits the number of people interested in this option.
Excessive drinking is a symptom of diabetes.
In order to increase organ donation among African-Americans, there have been many initiatives initiated a grass-roots effort to educate the community about organ donation. Some African-American task forces has used billboards, health fairs, and speaking engagements at schools and churches to spread the word about organ donation in the African-American community.
After several years, these efforts have paid off. Illinois has seen an increase in the rate of donation by African-Americans in this area. This is important because kidneys from African-American donors are more likely to be a good match for African-American recipients, increasing the possibility of a successful transplant for these recipients. Other parts of the country have recognized this success. Houston, Dallas, Atlanta, and St. Louis have begun similar programs.
There are many things that each of us “regular folks” can do to address the growing problem of kidney donation:
1. Stay healthy by getting screened for blood pressure problems and diabetes.
2. Get treatment early if needed.
3. Learn about the option of donation if someone close to you is in need of a kidney transplant.
4. Talk about organ donation with your family. Let them know how you feel about organ donation, so that they can abide by your wishes in case they have to make that decision some day.
Organ transplants can save and improve lives. Today, more than 79,000 men, women, and children wait for an organ transplant. Without an increase in donation, that number will continue to rise. Every day 114 individuals are added to the national waiting list for organs. Currently, 16 people die each day because there are not enough organs available for transplant.
In addition to organ donation, donated tissues can make life better for many with disease. Bone grafts enable individuals to walk again while skin grafts save the lives of critically burned patients. Donated corneas prevent or correct blindness. Heart valves help repair critical cardiac defects. Even donating blood can save a life, and it can be done over and over again, with no health risks. It is important for African Americans to agree to be organ donors. Nationally, according to the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) database, African-Americans wait about 1,335 days.
Kidney transplantation is a treatment of choice for kidney failure. A disproportionately large number of those waiting and dying on transplant waiting lists are African American, yet, on a national level, there are significantly fewer donated organs from the African-American population. There is a decreased likelihood of successful transplantation due to poor tissue match among donors and recipients of different racial groups. Taken together with the fact that African Americans have a significantly higher chance of having high blood pressure and kidney failure, it is even more important that they become interested in organ donation.
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