Causes of Kidney Failure

The number one cause of kidney failure is type 2 diabetes. Currently, more than 23 million people in the U.S.-8% of the population-have diabetes. From 2002 to 2011, 4.1% of people with kidney failure lost their kidney function due to type 2 diabetes, and another 3.9% to type 1 diabetes. That number is likely to increase, as cases of type 2 diabetes are predicted to double in the next 20 years.

The second most common cause of kidney failure is high blood pressure(hypertension). Hypertension accounts for almost 27% of all kidney failure. In the U.S., nearly 1 in 3 people have high blood pressure. A normal blood pressure reading is 120/80 mmHg or less. With CKD your blood pressure is considered "normal" if it stays below 130/80. Recent studies suggest that people with kidney disease should keep their blood pressure even lower:120/80.

Many people who have kidney failure don't know it, because the early signs can be very subtle:

●Shortness of breath-extra fluid can build up in the lungs, or anemia can cause shortness of breath.
●Itching-the build-up of wastes in the blood can cause severe itching.
●Pain in the small of the back-the pain is not made worse by movement.
●Swelling in the hands or feet-failing kidneys don't remove extra fluid, which builds up in the body.
●Changes in urination-like foamy urine, blood in the urine, more or less urine than usual, or getting up at night to urinate.
●Fatigue-lack of usual energy and feelings of overwhelming tiredness can be related to kidney failure.