What is chronic kidney disease?
Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is an irreversible, progressive disease of the kidneys which affects their ability to properly filter blood and produce certain hormones (3). This causes a dangerous build-up of waste products in the body. The most common causes of chronic kidney disease are diabetes and hypertension. Other factors that put people at risk for CKD are heart disease, genetics, and autoimmune diseases (3).
How is CKD diagnosed?
What are the different CKD stages?

What are the different CKD stages?
Kidney Disease in Asians: How it affects you differently
While most ethnic-specific CKD research is focused on African Americans, the focus at Asian Kidney Nutrition is tailored to you as an individual from Asian descent. I take the time to comb through the most up-to-date research on CKD in Asians, so you don’t have to.
A study following 2,626 Caucasians and 818 Asians over eight years with similar eGFRs showed Asians having a higher incidence of End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) (3). The researchers found that Asians progressed through the stages of CKD quicker than Caucasians; therefore, there were more new cases of Asians that ended up with ESRD.
Asians overall had a faster decline in GFR compared to the Caucasians group (Asians have a 52% faster decline, while South Asians have the fastest at more than 80%). This rapid decrease puts Asians at higher risk for reaching ESRD faster.
It’s important to consider that this particular study was done in British Columbia, where many follow a typical westernized diet low in fruits and vegetables, fiber, and very high in protein. These dietary factors increase the risk for other conditions such as diabetes and hypertension, both of which are risk factors for developing CKD (3). This research provides valuable information on how CKD affects Asian individuals differently, but cannot be used alone to claim that being of a certain Asian descent is a risk factor for CKD in itself.
Renal lab values in the Asian population were also found to be significantly worse compared to Caucasians with CKD. Asian groups tended to test more for the following (3):
• Anemia (low iron levels)
• Hyperphosphatemia (high phosphorus levels)
• Hypocalcemia (low calcium levels)
• Hypoalbuminemia (low albumin levels)
• Hyperparathyroidism (highparathyroid hormone levels)
Diets within different Asian cultures vary greatly and may influence the incidence of CKD in certain groups. However, more research is needed to determine the significance of the role of genetics and other cultural factors within the Asian population on developing CKD, worsening decline in eGFR, and lab values. Such genetic differences have recently been found in the African American population that helps explain their susceptibility to CKD (5).
What is a renal diet?
Sources
1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021, March 4). Chronic kidney disease in the United States, 2021. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved November 29, 2021, from https://www.cdc.gov/kidneydisease/publications-resources/ckd-national-facts.html.
2. Coresh, J. (2017). American Society of Nephrology. Retrieved November 30, 2021, from https://jasn.asnjournals.org/
3. Barbour, S. J., Er, L., Djurdjev, O., Karim, M., & Levin, A. (2010, April 5). Differences in progression of CKD and mortality amongst Caucasian, Oriental Asian and South Asian CKD patients. OUP Academic. Retrieved November 27, 2021, from https://academic.oup.com/ndt/article/25/11/3663/1899075?login=true
4. KDIGO 2017 Clinical Practice Guideline Update for the … (n.d.). Retrieved November 28, 2021, from https://kdigo.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/2017-KDIGO-CKD-MBD-GL-Update.pdf
5. Umeukeje, E. M., Young, B. A., Fullerton, S. M., Cavanaugh, K., Owens, D., Wilson, J. G., Burke, W., & Blacksher, E. (2019, April 1). You are just now telling us about this? African American perspectives of testing for genetic susceptibility to kidney disease. American Society of Nephrology. Retrieved November 27, 2021, from https://jasn.asnjournals.org/content/30/4/526?WT.MC_ID=TMD01&utm_campaign=J_Am_Soc_Nephrol_TrendMD_1&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=TrendMD
6. Umeukeje, E. M., Young, B. A., Fullerton, S. M., Cavanaugh, K., Owens, D., Wilson, J. G., Burke, W., & Blacksher, E. (2019, April 1). You are just now telling us about this? African American perspectives of testing for genetic susceptibility to kidney disease. American Society of Nephrology. Retrieved November 27, 2021, from https://jasn.asnjournals.org/content/30/4/526?WT.MC_ID=TMD01&utm_campaign=J_Am_Soc_Nephrol_TrendMD_1&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=TrendMD
7. Metzger M;Yuan WL;Haymann JP;Flamant M;Houillier P;Thervet E;Boffa JJ;Vrtovsnik F;Froissart M;Bankir L;Fouque D;Stengel B; (n.d.). Association of a low-protein diet with slower progression of CKD. Kidney international reports. Retrieved November 27, 2021, from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29340320/
Source Links
1. https://www.cdc.gov/kidneydisease/publications-resources/ckd-national-facts.html CDC info
2. https://jasn.asnjournals.org/content/jnephrol/28/4/1020.full.pdf?with-ds=yes facts
3. https://academic.oup.com/ndt/article/25/11/3663/1899075?login=true asian CKD study
4. https://kdigo.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/KDIGO_2012_CKD_GL.pdf KDIGO guidelines
5. https://jasn.asnjournals.org/content/30/4/526?WT.MC_ID=TMD01&utm_campaign=J_Am_Soc_Nephrol_TrendMD_1&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=TrendMD AA ckd genetic
6. https://cjasn.asnjournals.org/content/clinjasn/14/1/141.full.pdf plant based diet CKD
7. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29340320/ low protein diet