Epidemiology of end-stage renal disease

Chronic renal failure (CRF) is not uncommon in the population. The incidence of CRF rises with age and is commoner in men and in Indo-Asians and African Caribbeans. End-stage renal disease (ESRD) is treated by renal replacement therapy (RRT), dialysis and transplantation. Acceptance rates have risen fivefold in the last two decades, but population need is still not being met. The main cause of ESRD is diabetic nephropathy, though many patients present late with small kidneys of uncertain cause Cardiovascular disease is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with CRF and ESRD.