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Health Information
What African-Americans Need to Know about Organ Donation
- African-Americans, Asian-Pacific Islanders and Hispanics are three times
more likely to suffer from end-stage renal disease (lack of kidney function)
than Caucasians. Native Americans are four times more likely to suffer
from diabetes and high blood pressure than Caucasians. Native Americans
have the highest rate of diabetes than anyone.
- Organ donation among minorities
can lead to earlier and more successful transplants, especially for African-Americans
because there is a less likely chance of rejection if
the organ is from a well-matched African-American donor.
- Nationally as
of February 13, 2004, there are a total of 83,858 people waiting on a
organ. Of that number 21,062 African-Americans, 9,661 Hispanics, 3,648
Asians and 23,609 White Americans are waiting for a kidney transplant.
Kidneys are the most need organ.
- As of December 31,2001 in New York State
alone there are 21,158 patients receiving dialysis due to end stage renal
disease. As of February 13, 2004 in New York State are 9,001 patients
waiting on a kidney transplant.
- There are more than 200,000 Americans who
undergo dialysis nationally, approximately 41 percent of those patients
are African-American, while African-Americans comprise only about 12
percent of the general population this is of great concern.
- In the year
2002 the total number of patients removed from the national waiting list
due to death while waiting for a transplant was 6,187 that included all
ethnic groups.
- Some common reasons African-Americans and other minorities
hesitate to participate in organ donor programs are:
- Distrust of doctors and the medical community
- Fear that organs will be taken before they are dead
- Religious beliefs
- Afraid proper medical attention will not be given to them if they are organ donors
- Lack of education regarding organ
donation
- Organ donation should be discussed with family members to make them aware of your wishes. Every 15 minutes a new name is added to the national transplant waiting list.
Facts
Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney disease that will eventually lead to end stage renal disease for African-Americans is diabetes. Diabetes in the overall United States population is the number one cause of end stage renal disease, and high blood pressure is the second leading cause in the general population for end stage renal disease.
African-Americans develop high blood pressure two to three times more often than other populations and the complications are much more severe for African-Americans.
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