Risk factors for chronic kidney disease in Central American farm communities
Official title: Exploring risk factors and predictors of endemic CKDu in agricultural regions of four Central America countries
Funded at Universidad Nacional, Costa Rica · NIH-11162371 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks for causes and early warning signs of chronic kidney disease affecting young agricultural workers in Costa Rica, Panama, Nicaragua, and Guatemala by following people over time and testing blood, urine, and other samples.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Universidad Nacional, Costa Rica NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Heredia, Costa Rica) |
| Project start | September 1, 2021 |
| Project end | June 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $293,044 |
| NIH project number | 5U01DK130046-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11162371 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults and young adults living or working in agricultural communities in the four Central American countries, including people with early-stage CKDu and those without known kidney disease, are the ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People who live outside the four participating countries or those with advanced, end-stage kidney disease on dialysis are unlikely to get direct benefit from this project.
What this research studies
If you join, you'll be enrolled along with other people from rural communities in Costa Rica, Panama, Nicaragua, and Guatemala and followed over several years. The team will collect health information, work histories, and samples such as blood and urine, and measure kidney function over time. They will record exposures like heat stress, agricultural chemicals, heavy metals, and possible infections, and bank samples for genetic and biomarker testing. This approach aims to find early warning signs and potentially preventable causes of CKDu.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could identify preventable causes and earlier markers of kidney injury so more people can be protected or treated sooner.
How similar studies have gone: Previous community-based studies and efforts within the NIH CURE consortium have suggested links to heat stress and toxins but have not yet produced a single definitive cause, so this builds on prior work while exploring new biomarkers and exposures.
Where this research is happening
-
Universidad Nacional, Costa Rica
Heredia, Costa Rica Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Crowe, Jennifer — Universidad Nacional, Costa Rica
- Study coordinator: Crowe, Jennifer
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.