Scientists from Ghana, Nigeria, and the United States have published groundbreaking research in the New England Journal of Medicine, identifying a significant genetic factor contributing to kidney disease among West African populations.
The study, conducted through the Human Health and Heredity in Africa (H3Africa) Kidney Disease Research Network, examined 8,355 people from Ghana and Nigeria, with Ghanaians comprising 36.7percent of participants.
This extensive research effort represented one of the largest genetic studies focused on kidney disease in African populations to date.
The research revealed that variants in the Apolipoprotein L1 (APOL1) gene, which originally protected African ancestors from sleeping sickness (Trypanosomiasis), now increases the risk of chronic kidney disease.