Diabetic nephropathy

Diabetic kidney disease is the leading cause of end-stage kidney disease in the Western world. It accounts for up to 40% of patients requiring renal replacement therapy. Currently, achieving optimal glycaemic and blood pressure control are the only strategies that have been shown to prevent and retard the progression of diabetic kidney disease. Recently, the elucidation of pathophysiological mechanisms of kidney damage, involving oxidative stress in particular, have led to the development of promising therapeutic targets. It remains to be seen whether these novel therapies are effective in clinical trials.