In 2003, kidney diseases such as nephritis (kidney inflammation), renal syndrome and nephrosis were the eighth leading cause of death among Taiwanese. In that year, 4,306 persons died of kidney disease, making it Taiwan's "new national scourge."
2003 年國人十大死因中，腎炎、腎徵候群及腎變性病則名列第八位，當年因此死亡的人數達 4306 人。腎臟病已然成為台灣的「新國病」。