The principles are still broadly applicable today: 1  The condition should be an important health problem. 2  There should be a treatment for the condition. 3  Facilities for diagnosis and treatment should be available. 4  There should be a latent stage of the disease. 5  There should be a test or examination for the condition.
Diabetes Is the Leading Cause of Chronic Kidney Disease. According to the Centers for Disease Control, over 17 million Americans have diabetes. Unfortunately, one-third does not realize they have the disease. Diabetes is the number one cause of chronic kidney disease (CKD). In 1999, almost 44% of patients who needed dialysis had diabetes as the underlying cause for their kidney disease. The numbers continue to rise today.
The third leading cause of end stage kidney disease in the U.S. is glomerulonephritis, a disease that damages the kidneys' filtering units, called the glomeruli. In many cases, the cause of this disease is not known, but some cases may be inherited and others may be triggered by an infection. Some of the other diseases that may affect the kidneys include infections, kidney stones and inherited diseases such as polycystic kidney disease. The kidneys can also be damaged by overuse of some over-the-counter pain killers and by taking illegal drugs such as heroin. Some of these diseases can be cured.