Research Shows Why Kidney Disease Affects Men And Women Differently

Research Shows Why Kidney Disease Affects Men And Women Differently

Fida Olga/Shutterstock By Alejandra Arevalo/Nov. 10, 2022 3:02 pm EST

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a prevailing issue affecting an estimated 15% of American adults, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Kidneys are in charge of cleaning up our blood and removing waste and fluids that can pose danger to our bodies if accumulated at high levels. People with CKD have damaged kidneys incapable of filtering the blood as effectively as healthy kidneys, increasing the risk of high blood pressure, stroke and death.

This health condition affects mostly people above 65 years old, with women being more likely to have it than men. While men get the disease with less frequency, they tend to face faster and harsher consequences than women, researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago found in a 2018 study. Experts have spent years trying to understand why there is this gender disparity, some suggesting that different testosterone and estrogen levels might be the cause (via National Kidney Foundation). A new study by Duke University seems to have the answer.

Research Shows Why Kidney Disease Affects Men And Women Differently

Fida Olga/Shutterstock

By Alejandra Arevalo/Nov. 10, 2022 3:02 pm EST

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a prevailing issue affecting an estimated 15% of American adults, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Kidneys are in charge of cleaning up our blood and removing waste and fluids that can pose danger to our bodies if accumulated at high levels. People with CKD have damaged kidneys incapable of filtering the blood as effectively as healthy kidneys, increasing the risk of high blood pressure, stroke and death.

This health condition affects mostly people above 65 years old, with women being more likely to have it than men. While men get the disease with less frequency, they tend to face faster and harsher consequences than women, researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago found in a 2018 study. Experts have spent years trying to understand why there is this gender disparity, some suggesting that different testosterone and estrogen levels might be the cause (via National Kidney Foundation). A new study by Duke University seems to have the answer.

This health condition affects mostly people above 65 years old, with women being more likely to have it than men. While men get the disease with less frequency, they tend to face faster and harsher consequences than women, researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago found in a 2018 study. Experts have spent years trying to understand why there is this gender disparity, some suggesting that different testosterone and estrogen levels might be the cause (via National Kidney Foundation). A new study by Duke University seems to have the answer.

Testosterone influences the progression of kidney disease

Mohammed Haneefa Nizamudeen/Getty Images