Regional Variations in the Incidence of End-Stage Renal Failure in Japan

Abstract

Despite recent advances in nephrology and dramatic decreases in the incidence of cardiovascular diseases,¹ the number of patients beginning dialysis therapy annually is increasing in both the United States² and Japan.³ In the United States, racial differences in the incidence of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) have been noted.^4,5 On the other hand, Japan has a relatively homogeneous racial composition. Therefore, we constructed maps to compare the annual incidence of ESRD and the increasing rate of ESRD incidence among different areas in Japan. Regional differences in Japan may suggest the presence of factors other than race that contribute to differences in incidence and increasing rate of incidence and that may be controllable by treatment.