Native Americans with diabetes

Remarkable progress made reducing kidney failure from diabetes in Native American populations

Federal data show diabetes-related kidney failure among Native American adults (American Indians/Alaskan Natives) decreased 54 percent between 1996 and 2013. This remarkable decrease follows population-based approaches to diabetes management and improvements in clinical care begun by the Indian Health Service (IHS) in the mid-1980s.

• Native Americans have a greater chance of having diabetes than any other U.S. racial/ethnic group.

• Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure in the U.S. Two out of three Native Americans with kidney failure have diabetes. But the rate of diabetes-related kidney failure in Native Americans has declined the fastest of any racial/ethnic group in the U.S.

• Kidney failure is a devastating and costly condition that requires regular dialysis or a kidney transplant for survival. Diabetes-related kidney failure is delayed or prevented by controlling blood pressure and blood sugar, using kidney-protective medicines, and regular kidney testing.

Key Findings from the report include:

• Despite well-documented health and socioeconomic disparities in the Native American population, kidney failure from diabetes has decreased substantially since 1996.
• IHS-supported care for Native Americans with diabetes has improved:
  • Use of medicine to protect kidneys increased greatly, from 42% to 74% in 5 years.
  • Average blood pressure in those with hypertension is well-controlled (133/76 in 2015).
  • Blood sugar control improved by 10% between 1996 and 2014.
  • More than 60% of Native Americans 65 years and older had a urine test for kidney damage (2015) compared to 40% of the Medicare diabetes population (2013).

• The Indian Health Service applied strong coordinated clinical care and education, community outreach and environmental changes.  These measure can make a dramatic difference in reducing complications from diabetes for all Americans.