Blacks, Hispanics and kidney donations

Black and Hispanic kidney donors are significantly more likely than white donors to develop hypertension, diabetes and chronic kidney disease. The need for live kidney donors is greatest among blacks, who are significantly more likely to develop end-stage renal disease, yet have less access to kidney transplants. Researchers say that blacks are less likely to identify a potential donor and their potential donors are more likely to have health conditions at evaluation that limit their ability to donate. After kidney donation, researchers found that in comparison to white donors, black donors were 52% more likely to be diagnosed with hypertension. Hispanic donors also were 36% more likely than white donors to be diagnosed with hypertension. Additionally, black and Hispanic donors were more than two times as likely as white donors to be diagnosed with chronic kidney disease and to have drug-treated diabetes.