Burden of Chronic Kidney Disease in Asia From 1990 to 2023: A Global Burden of Disease Study 2023
Jungwon Chun, Dohwi Yun, Juyeong Kim, Hyunjee Kim, Yesol Yim, Yoon Lee, Dongjin Yeo, Selin Woo, Dong Keon YonABSTRACT
Aim
Despite growing recognition of chronic kidney disease (CKD) as a major health threat in Asia, its subregional variations are often overlooked. This study aimed to assess the CKD burden across five Asian subregions.
Methods
This study analysed data from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2023 to estimate the burden of CKD in Asia. CKD cases were classified using International Classification of Diseases codes. Age‐standardized mortality rates (ASMRs) and age‐standardized disability‐adjusted life‐year (DALY) rates (ASDRs) per 100 000 population were estimated from 1990 to 2023 across 34 Asian countries, which were grouped into five subregions: Central, East, South, Southeast Asia and high‐income Asia Pacific. Estimates were stratified by age, sex and underlying causes and reported with 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs), along with an assessment of major risk factors.
Results
In 2023, Southeast Asia experienced the heaviest CKD burden, with the highest ASMR (24.73 [95% UI, 19.98–29.83] per 100 000 population) and ASDR (816.37 [695.11–964.14]). Females under 35 years in South and Southeast Asia had a higher DALY burden than males. In Southeast Asia, type 1 diabetes contributed significantly to CKD deaths (ASMR, 3.18 [95% UI, 2.38–4.18] per 100 000 population), whereas CKD deaths in Central Asia were primarily due to other causes (7.48 [6.51–8.49]). High fasting plasma glucose levels were the leading risk factor across most regions, except in Central Asia.
Conclusion
Although CKD is often considered uniform in Asia, our findings reveal distinct subregional drivers. Effective CKD control requires a shift from aggregated targets to precision‐ and region‐specific strategies.