More intervention is needed to prevent chronic kidney disease and premature death among both Māori and Pasifika groups.
New research by the University of Otago has revealed they're getting sick younger, and it's having a huge impact on their families.
In the mid-1990s the attacking duo Joeli Vidiri and Jonah Lomu were a force to be reckoned with.
They also shared a battle off the field - both of them suffering from nephrotic syndrome, a rare kidney disease.
"Both were very young," says Otago University kidney health expert Professor Rob Walker.
New research, co-authored by Prof Walker, has found that chronic kidney disease is alarmingly more prevalent among Auckland's Māori and Pacific populations than previously thought.
The studies show that Māori and Pasifika have higher rates than non-Māori and non-Pasifika with the disease presenting from the age of 40 - that's 10 to15 years younger than their counterparts.
These groups were also three to five times more likely to commence kidney replacement therapy than New Zealand Europeans.
With kidney disease hitting Māori and Pasifika people in their 40s, it can have a huge impact on whanau - as it often affects the main breadwinner or carer.
"The policy system has not been there to engage," says Otago University Faumuina Professor Fa'afetai Sopoaga.
But there is a way to start addressing the problem.
"A simple urine test," says Prof Walker.
So more awareness and testing early on could prevent the disease and reduce the number of premature deaths.
