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Glomerular diseases (GD) are one of the main causes of chronic kidney disease (CKD), second only to hypertensive nephrosclerosis and diabetic kidney disease. In 2019, according to the Brazilian Dialysis Survey, glomerulonephritis corresponded to 9% of the underlying CKD etiology that led the patient to dialysis. Despite this, there are few reports in the literature on epidemiological data regarding mortality from this pathology. The aim of this study was to analyze mortality due to GD in Brazil.
This is a cross-sectional and documentary study with a quantitative approach, with data from Vital Statistics - General Mortality from DATASUS (public health system data set from Brazil), from 2011 to 2021. The variables race, gender, age group and deaths per occurrence per year were evaluated.
In the study period, a total of 14,416 deaths due to GD were registered in Brazil. In this group, the most prominent category was chronic nephritic syndrome (ICD 10 N03), responsible for 11,541 cases (80%). Race was recorded in 13,817 cases; 6,633 (48%) of those were white, 1,642 (11,88%) were black, 104 (0,75%) were asian, 5,460 (39%) were brown and 32 (0,2%) were indigenous. Regarding gender, there were 7,859 deaths in men (54%) and 6,553 in women (45%). Regarding age group, mortality was most prevalent in patients aged over 80, with deaths in this age group numbering 4,571 (31%), followed by ages 70-79, which numbered 3,214 deaths (26%). Relating to general mortality from diseases of the genitourinary system in the country between 2011 and 2021, which accounts for 419,609 cases, glomerulopathies present only 3,43%, but there has been a sizable increase in the number of deaths per year; in 2011, the number of deaths caused by GD was 414 and, in 2021, this number reached 2,830.
This study revealed that mortality by GD in Brazil affects people of various ethnic backgrounds, highlighting the importance of comprehensive healthcare and awareness regardless of race or ethnicity; regarding age and gender, it is greater in men and in the elderly, having increased with an alarming speed in the past few years. It is likely that this data correlates with population aging, with the greater incidence of GD among elderly people leading to an increase in mortality. The speed of increase in the number of deaths due to this cause in Brazil is a cause for concern; glomerulopathies are often associated with the need for dialysis, which affects the quality of life of many patients. This increase calls for greater engagement from scholars to clarify which measures would increase the length and quality of life of affected patients.