Kidney Problems Linked to Problem Pregnancies

Share On Social!

Fact: Latinos face greater risks of kidney disease and kidney failure than whites.

The numbers behind that fact show Latinos are 1.5 times more likely to have kidney failure than any other race or ethnicity, according to the National Kidney Foundation.

New research indicates this health issue might even be more serious than previously thought.

Women with prior kidney damage may face an increased risk for pregnancy complications, according to a new study into kidney conditions, as reported by HealthDay.

The study, from Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, reviewed data from almost 25,000 women who gave birth at there between 1998 and 2007.

Just over 100 women in that group had experienced acute kidney injuries and they had much higher rates of a condition known as preeclampsia that causes high blood pressure and other problems during pregnancy. This is a rate of 23% compared to 4% in the non-injured group of births.

“We believe that this study highlights an important finding that will be useful for medical providers caring for reproductive-age women,” said study author Dr. Jessica Sheehan Tangren, a nephrologist from Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, in an interview with HealthDay.

Women who had kidney damage were also more likely to have small-for-gestational-age babies and were more likely to give birth earlier.

“Our goal in future studies is to address why women with a history of acute kidney injury are at higher risk for pregnancy complications and to identify strategies to lower their risk,” said Tangren in a journal news release.

Researchers don’t fully understand why Latinos are at a higher risk for kidney disease. However, the high rate of diabetes among Latinos, 10% of Latinos in the U.S. have been diagnosed with the disease, is thought to be at least part of the problem. Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney disease.

High blood pressure and obesity, which are disproportionately represented in Latinos, as well as a lack of access to quality healthcare may also play a role.