Despite Advances, Public Interest in Glomerular Diseases Has Not Grown, Study Finds

New research is shedding light on the varying levels of public interest in and engagement with common glomerular diseases, calling attention to the need for enhanced awareness efforts.1

Leveraging Google Trends data from 2004-2024, the study found notable discrepancies in search trends for IgA nephropathy (IgAN); membranous glomerulonephritis (MN); focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS); lupus nephritis (LN); and diabetic nephropathy (DN), highlighting differences in public interest in the United States compared with global data.1

Glomerular disease often progresses slowly, presenting with no symptoms for many years but eventually causing serious health problems, including high blood pressure, nephrotic syndrome, chronic kidney disease, and kidney failure. Glomerulonephritis is a prominent cause of renal impairment, leading to 10-15% of end-stage renal disease cases in the United States.2,3

“Glomerular diseases have a profound impact, yet public awareness and interest in these conditions remain poorly understood,” Jing Miao, MD, PhD, a nephrologist at Mayo Clinic, and colleagues wrote.1

To address this gap in research, investigators used Google Trends data to examine global and regional search activity from 2004-2024 for IgAN, MN, FSGS, LN, and DN using the following search terms:

• IgA nephropathy (Disease)
• Membranous glomerulonephritis (Disease)
• Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (Syndrome)
• Lupus nephritis (Disease)
• Diabetic nephropathy (Disease)

Relative search interest (RSI) data were retrieved both globally and in English-speaking countries from Google Trends on a monthly basis. Investigators calculated annual average RSI values to assess year-to-year changes in search activity.1

In Google Trends, the numbers indicate search activity relative to the highest point on the chart for the given region and period. A value of 100 represents peak popularity, while 50 indicates the term is half as popular, and 0 means insufficient data for that term.1

Globally, the mean yearly RSI scores over the study period varied significantly, with IgAN leading (58.4 ± 10.1), followed by DN (48.4 ± 7.0), FSGS (28.5 ± 9.8), LN (24.3 ± 5.4), and MN (13.9 ± 2.4).1

Additional comparative analysis of global yearly data revealed significant variations (P <.0001) in search trends for glomerular diseases over time. Investigators called attention to stark declines in IgAN and FSGS, while LN demonstrated a notable upward trend. MN and DN experienced a slight decline before 2016, preceded by a slight increase and minor variations.1

Investigators recognized that since their analysis utilized English terms, the extracted data may not reflect global trends. To address this, they collected search activity data from countries where English is the official or primary language.1

In total, 11 countries with an average monthly RSI ≥ 1 were identified, with the United States consistently ranking as the leading country exhibiting the highest search activity. Search interest was also concentrated in the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia.1

In the United States, the mean yearly RSI scores during the study period varied significantly, with IgAN ranking highest (55.8 ± 10.2), followed by FSGS (43.8 ± 7.1), DN (30.2 ± 2.8), LN (30.0 ± 7.4), and MN (14.8 ± 4.1). Further analysis of yearly data from the United States revealed statistically significant (P <.0001) differences in trends among the glomerular diseases. IgAN, MN, and DN displayed upward trajectories, whereas FSGS showed a declining pattern. LN remained relatively stable, with only minor changes in activity over the years.1

For IgAN, LN, and MN, investigators noted the trends observed in the United States appeared to align with global data. In contrast, search interest for FSGS exceeded global levels, while interest in DN was slightly lower than global activity.1

“Despite advancements in treatments and an increase in clinical trials for glomerular diseases, our analysis of Google Trends data indicates that public interest, especially in conditions like MN and FSGS, has not significantly grown, at least in English-speaking countries,” investigators concluded.1 “Given the inherent limitations and potential biases of Google Trends, its reliability should be validated against reference data sources. Moreover, future analysis should prioritize search terms in the predominant language of each country.”

References

1. Balakrishnan S, Thongprayoon C, Craici IM, et al. Global and national public awareness and interest in glomerular diseases from 2004 to 2024. Front Nephrol. doi: 10.3389/fneph.2025.1519481.

2. National Institutes of Health. Glomerular Disease. June 2022. Accessed February 11, 2025. https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/kidney-disease/glomerular-disease

3. Kazi AM, Hashmi MF. Glomerulonephritis. StatPearls. June 26, 2023. Accessed February 11, 2025. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK560644/