There’s been a surge in funding for health tech startups trying to treat or stave off the worst symptoms of chronic kidney disease, a costly and often deadly condition that affects 37 million people in the U.S. alone.
Chronic kidney disease develops when the kidneys are so damaged they can’t filter blood as well as needed. People with diabetes, high blood pressure, and other metabolic conditions are at especially high risk of developing the condition. It’s an especially costly condition to treat — in 2019, Medicare spent more than $87.2 billion on treating CKD in its enrollees, and another $37 billion on treating Medicare beneficiaries for end-stage renal disease, which can develop if kidney problems go untreated. But treatment, particularly in the early stages, can slow its progression and potentially prevent patients from developing kidney failure and needing dialysis or a transplant.
