Goal striving stress linked to progressive kidney disease among African Americans

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-12/b-gss121620.php

 

News Release 17-Dec-2020
BMJ

 

The stress caused by the gap between the pursuit of life goals and their achievement, formally known as goal striving stress, is linked to rapidly worsening kidney disease among African Americans, finds research published online in the Journal of Investigative Medicine.

The greater the level of stress, the higher the risk, the findings indicate.

African Americans have higher rates of kidney disease and are three times more likely to progress to advanced disease, requiring dialysis, than other racial groups, say the researchers. But traditional risk factors, such as cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes only partially explain this discrepancy.

The researchers therefore wanted to find out if stress, which is known to affect various systems in the body, might also contribute to rapidly worsening kidney disease.


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