Diabetes and high blood pressure are the two most common causes of chronic kidney disease.
Diabetes causes about half of all cases of kidney failure wheras high blood pressure cause about one quarter of cases in the UK.
Diabetes can cause too much glucose to build up in the blood and this will damage the nephrons (filters) in the kidneys thereby reducing
the ability
of the kidneys to filter out waste products and fluids.
Type 1 diabetes is more likely than Type 2 to lead to kidney disease. The NHS Direct site estimates that between 20 and 40% of people with
Type 1 diabetes will develop kidney disease by the age of 50.
However, treatment of people with diabetes is improving and the effects of diabetes can be better controlled - the number of diabetics who go on to
develop kidney disease is fallling.
High blood pressure causes kidney disease by putting additional strain on the small blood vessels in the kidneys thus preventing the filtering
process from working properly.
Other causes of kidney disease include:
- glomerulonephritis (inflammation of the kidney);
- pyelonephritis (infection of the kidney);
- polycystic kidney disease (an inherited condition where the kidneys are several times their natural size due to the gradual growth of cysts);
- failure of normal kidney development in an unborn baby while developing in the womb;
- systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) - a condition where the body attacks the kidney as
though it were foreign tissue;
- obstructive nephropathy. This occurs when urine outflow is blocked over time by either and enlarged prostrate, kidney stones or tumours. There is also
a condition wihich is a result of urine backing up into the kidneys from the bladder. This backflow reduces the kidneys' ability to function properly;
- kidney artery stenosis. This is where narrowing or blockage occurs in the kidney artery before it enters the kidney. In older adults this is usually due
to the build up of fatty deposits under the lining of the artery walls whereas in younger women it is usually due to the artery walls becoming thicker. Both
conditions are usually related to high blood pressure;
- malaria and yellow fever;
- jaundice;
- overuse of medicines such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs);
- heroin and/or cocaine use;
- prolonged exposure to fuels, solvents and leads;
- a sharp blow or physical injury to the kidneys.
