In a large population-based family study, family history of kidney disease was strongly associated with increased risk of chronic kidney disease.

In this large population-based family study recently published in the American Journal of Kidney Diseases, researchers investigated the familial aggregation of CKD by comparing the risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in individuals with an affected first-degree relative to that in the general population. Participants with an affected first-degree relative were observed to have a threefold higher risk of CKD compared to that in the general population, independent of BMI, hypertension, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, history of cardiovascular disease (CVD), and smoking status.

The authors of this study observed a 1.56 fold higher risk in those with an affected spouse, suggesting that shared environmental factors and/or assortative mating play a role. Heritability of eGFR was considerable (44 percent), whereas heritability of UAE was moderate (20 percent). Heritability of kidney-related markers and serum electrolytes ranged between 20 and 50 percent. These results indicate an important role for genetic factors in modulating susceptibility to kidney disease in the general population.