Private MD News
Home |
News |
Kidney Diseases
African Americans are at greater risk of kidney disease
Updated: 2010-07-20 19:28:26 CST Category: Kidney Diseases
African American individuals who have a history of nephropathy in their family may want to consider seeking a kidney test to determine their risk factor for the disease. A new study has found that a gene found in many African Americans is a leading cause of the disease.
Researchers from Wake Forest University found that the APOL1 gene is found in 30 percent of all African Americans. This gene is an abnormal variant, which researchers say increases an individual's risk for developing kidney disease 10-fold.
"It has long been thought that high blood pressure is a common cause of end stage kidney disease in African-Americans," said study co-researcher Barry Freedman.
"However, the strong association between variants in the APOL1 gene and hypertension-attributed kidney disease suggested that this kidney disease is not due to hypertension as was initially believed."
African Americans have a significantly higher rate of kidney disease. Researchers speculated that the genetic variant may have been developed as protection from a parasite known to cause African sleeping sickness. The disease causes complications in the nervous system that eventually can lead to death.

Related Articles from Private MD:
Share on Facebook
Subscribe to Private MD Health News RSS Feed: 
News Categories:
Advanced Lipid Treatment I
Allergy Testing
Anemia and RBC disorders
Autoimmune Diseases
Bariatric Lab Testing
Blood and Blood Diseases
Breast
Cancer Detection and Tumor Markers
Celiac Disease Testing
Chlamydia
Coagulation and blood clotting disorders
Colon
Diabetes
DNA, Paternity and Genetic testing
Drug Screening
Environmental Toxin Testing
Female Specific Tests
Gastrointestinal Diseases
General Health
General Wellness
Heart Health and Cholesterol
Herpes
HIV
HIV monitoring/Treatment/Testing/Post Diagnos
Hormones and Metabolism
Infectious Diseases
Infertility Testing-Male
Infertitlity Hormone Testing
Kidney Diseases
Leukemia and WBC disorders
Liver
Liver Diseases
Lyme Disease
Male Specific Tests
Menopause/Peri-Menopausal Diagnosis
Organ Specific Testing
Ovarian
Prostate
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Thyroid Diseases
Vitamin D Deficiency-Diagnosis and Treatment
Visit the Health News Archive: Click Here
Questions about online blood testing or how to order a lab test? Click
here to get started or call us toll-free at
1.877.283.7882. Our certified professionals are ready to assist
you.