Kidney Disease Causes

What causes kidney disease?

The leading cause of kidney disease in the United States is diabetes. Both type 1 and type 2 diabetes can lead to a condition called diabetic nephropathy which can result in kidney disease.

High blood pressure is another leading cause of kidney disease. Together, diabetes and high blood pressure are responsible for approximately two-thirds of chronic kidney disease.

Other causes of kidney disease include glomerulonephritis (damage to kidney filtering), inherited kidney diseases, malformations, lupus, urinary infections and obstructions such as kidney stones.