End Stage Renal Disease

End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD), also called chronic kidney failure (CKF) is a complete failure or near complete loss of the kidney to function at a level that will maintain day to day life. ESRD usually occurs as chronic renal failure and worsens to the point where the kidney functions at less than 10% of its normal ability and death occurs from the accumulation of fluids and waste products in the body. In the US alone, more than 400,000 people are on long term dialysis and more than 20,000 people have had life saving kidney transplantation due to CKF. Poorly controlled diabetes, high blood pressure and chronic glomerulonephritis are common causes of ESRD. All cases of CKF eventually lead to mortality.

Although the chimpanzee kidney is known to be very similar to the human kidney in anatomy and physiology, incidence of CKF are not well established. Cases of ESRD in the chimpanzee would presumably be similar due to the known similarity of the chimpanzee kidney risk factors and primary diseases that are associated with CKF.