The journal had two studies on kidney failure, one covering diabetic men and women and the other, men with high blood pressure. The study of diabetics found the disproportion of kidney failure among blacks occurred entirely among sufferers of the non-insulin-dependent type of the disease. That type usually develops after age 40 and can be treated with oral medicines and weight control. It's about 10 times more common than insulin-dependent diabetes, which generally strikes teenagers and requires daily insulin injections.

The good news is that current treatments appear to be helping them avoid kidney failure if they have insulin-dependent diabetes. The bad news is that treatments are failing to avert kidney failure as a result of non-insulin-dependent diabetes and high blood pressure, he said.