Department of Medicine

Katharine L. Cheung, M.D., Ph.D.

(JANUARY 17, 2023) A recent study by Katharine L. Cheung, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of medicine, and colleagues shows that residence in the so-called stroke belt of the southeastern United States is an independent risk factor for incident chronic kidney disease (CKD), Renal & Urology News reported. Individuals who live in that region - which includes Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee - have a significant 14 percent higher risk for incident CKD compared with individuals who do not, in a fully adjusted model, Dr. Cheung’s team reported in the American Journal of Kidney Diseases. “It is noteworthy that the increased risk of CKD among residents of the U.S. stroke belt was independent of established CKD risk factors that disproportionately impact the southeastern U.S., including smoking, diabetes, low socioeconomic status, and cardiovascular disease,” they wrote. “These findings suggest that other factors may contribute to the development of incident CKD in those residing in the US stroke belt.”