FAMILY HISTORY OF END-STAGE RENAL-DISEASE AMONG INCIDENT DIALYSIS PATIENTS

As part of a larger study of genetic risk factors for the occurrence o f renal failure, the prevalence of a family history of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in first-and second-degree relatives of all incident d ialysis patients treated in Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolin a (ESRD Network 6) in 1994 was ascertained. Family histories were obta ined from 4365 dialysis patients (83% of those eligible), and 856 (20% ) reported having a family history of ESRD. Among race-sex groups, 14. 1% of Caucasian men, 14.6% of Caucasian women, 22.9% of African-Americ an men, and 23.9% of African-American women reported a first-or second -degree relative with ESRD (P = 0.001). The prevalence of relatives wi th ESRD varied by the reported etiology: 22.2% in diabetes mellitus; 1 8.9% in hypertension, 22.7% in glomerulonephritis; and 13.0% of other etiologies (P = 0.001). Patient characteristics independently associat ed with family history of ESRD included race, younger age, higher leve ls of education, and etiology of ESRD. In this report, it is concluded that a large proportion of incident ESRD cases have close relatives w ith ESRD in whom preventive actions might be directed. Genetic analyse s in multiply affected families may identify the inherited factors con tributing to progressive renal failure.