# Kidney disease deaths in Karnataka triple over 10 years

2026-09-29T03:56:27+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk

Corroboration: 2 independent outlets

Deaths from kidney and urinary diseases in Karnataka more than tripled over the past decade, from 5,940 medically certified deaths in 2016 to 18,730 in 2025, according to the state's Medical Certification of Cause of Death (MCCD) report. Renal failure accounted for 14,960 of those deaths, or 79.9% of the category. The rise accelerated after 2018, with deaths climbing each subsequent year. Kidney and urinary diseases were the third largest cause of certified deaths at 11.8%, after circulatory diseases (31.1%) and respiratory diseases (13.3%). Experts attribute the increase to rising diabetes, hypertension and obesity. Dr Deepak Chitralli of Manipal Hospital warned that unsupervised use of protein supplements, especially by youngsters, can damage kidneys over the long term. The MCCD report covers about 1.6 lakh medically certified deaths, or 28.2% of all registered deaths, and cautioned that certification gaps may mean the figures are not fully representative. The 2026 report will show whether the trend persists.

## Indian Opinion Analysis

Both Times of India sources and NDTV Profit report the same MCCD data, but Times of India leads with the threefold rise in kidney/urinary deaths over a decade and includes expert warnings about diabetes, protein supplements and lifestyle risks. NDTV Profit's headlines are blunter on the numerical jump but omit doctor commentary. The absence of any government-critical or pro-government slant means the coverage is straight wire-style reporting. The balanced reading is that while the rise is sharp and confirmed by official data, the figures cover only 28.2% of registered deaths, so the true state-level burden may differ. The 2026 report will show whether the accelerating trend continues.

## Coverage

- timesofindia.indiatimes.com (neutral report) <https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/deaths-from-kidney-urinary-diseases-in-karnataka-more-than-triple-in-10-years/articleshow/134548713.cms>
  Focuses on top cause groups, contextualises kidney deaths within broader mortality data
- timesofindia.indiatimes.com (neutral report) <https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/heart-lung-diseases-remain-top-2-causes-of-deaths-in-karnataka/articleshow/134548531.cms>
  Focuses on top cause groups, contextualises kidney deaths within broader mortality data
- ndtvprofit.com (neutral report) <https://www.ndtvprofit.com/india/from-6-000-to-over-18-000-karnataka-sees-rise-in-death-from-kidney-urinary-diseases-over-10-years-report-12112267>
  Headline emphasises the jump from 6,000 to 18,000, brief on causes
- ndtvprofit.com (neutral report) <https://www.ndtvprofit.com/india/from-6-000-to-over-18-000-karnataka-sees-rise-in-death-from-kidney-urinary-diseases-over-10-years-report-12112267#publisher=newsstand>
  Headline emphasises the jump from 6,000 to 18,000, brief on causes

Tags: Karnataka, kidney disease, MCCD, renal failure
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