Genetics of kidney disease

Chronic kidney disease, or CKD, is when your kidneys start to slow down. In time, they won’t work at all. Your kidneys filter out small particles and extra fluids from your blood. You excrete them in your urine. In CKD, they build in up your body. In the early stages of CKD, you may only have a few signs. These include nausea, throwing up, or not wanting to eat. Feeling tired and trouble sleeping are also signs. As it gets worse, your feet or ankles may swell. You may have chest pain or trouble breathing. These are from fluid building up in or around your feet, heart or lungs. You may not notice the signs until your kidneys barely work. We can treat CKD and slow down the kidney damage. But we cannot stop it yet. Diabetes and high blood pressure can cause CKD. Swelling or infections in and around the kidneys can also cause it. Other things can put us at risk. Like heart disease, smoking, or being overweight. Genetics can also play a part. We know that some gene changes can raise our risk for CKD. The more of these gene changes you have, the bigger your risk. Some groups are at higher risk for CKD than others. Like African Americans and Hispanics. Some of this is due to their high rate of diabetes and high blood pressure. But some gene changes linked to CKD may be more common in these groups. Scientists at Vanderbilt University Medical Center will use BioVU to study CKD. They will look for people with and without CKD. They will make sure to include a diverse group of people. Then they will look for gene changes linked to CKD. The goal is to learn who might be at risk for CKD. And how to better predict who is at risk. Their results may also help us find new ways to slow down CKD. Or better treat CKD.