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), researchers 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.