The January 11, 2022, session of Duke Medicine LEADS featured Opeyemi Olabisi, MD, PhD presenting "'CARE' and 'JUSTICE': A Community-Based Approach for Reducing Racial Kidney Health Disparity."
Pearls
- Black Americans have a high burden of developing kidney failure which is 3-4 times the rate of White Americans
- Socioeconomic and Biological factors contribute to the high incidence of kidney failure among Black Americans
- Two common mutations in the APOL1 gene that is present also exclusively in Blacks of recent West African ancestry is a major biological driver of rapidly progressing kidney failure among Black Americans.
- African Americans who represent 13% of US population account for >31% of patients on dialysis but only 5% of kidney disease clinical trials participants. Deliberate and consistent community-engaging approaches could reduce this health disparity and inequity.
Duke Medicine Learning, Education, and Discussion Series (LEADS) takes place each Tuesday at 12 p.m. Learn more and see schedule of upcoming sessions.