Nephrology and Common Types of Kidney Disease

Illustration of a kidney on a blue patterned background

Nephrologists Do Not “Kidney” Around

Nephrology focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of kidney conditions such as kidney function, kidney disease, and the preservation of kidney health. Many conditions affect kidney function or renal physiology, including

  • Kidney diseases such as glomerulonephritis, interstitial nephritis, and polycystic kidney disease.
  • Systemic conditions such as diabetes, autoimmune disease, and high blood pressure.
  • Additional factors that affect kidney functions such as medicines, diet, and exercise.

Because of the increase of noncommunicable diseases, chronic kidney disease (CKD) is increasing worldwide, emphasizing the importance of nephrology research. According to the Unites States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) more than 1 in 7 US adults are estimated to have CKD, and many of these adults may be unaware because symptoms of kidney disease do not appear until advanced stages. In 2022, CKD was found to be the 10th leading cause of death and predicted to rise to the 5th leading cause by 2050 (Vollset et al., 2024).

Kidney Filtration

Kidneys filter extra water; salts and minerals such as calcium, sodium, potassium, and phosphorus; and waste products such as urea and creatinine from the blood. The balance of these substances within blood is essential for proper blood pressure and overall stasis for the rest of the tissues and organs.

When kidneys aren’t functioning optimally, the levels of waste, fluids, and electrolytes in the bloodstream become unbalanced. In addition, dysfunctional kidneys release proteins such as albumin into the urine. If not treated, end-stage renal disease (ESRD) can be fatal.

Types of Kidney Disease

Acute kidney disease (AKD) is a sudden onset of kidney dysfunction that is potentially reversible. In contrast, CKD is not sudden and represents a continuum of increasing severity. The disease is characterized by stages 1 to 5, where 5 represents ESRD and potentially kidney failure. During CKD, damage to the kidney progress over time.

Risk factors for CKD include

  • Pre-diabetes
  • Diabetes
  • Cardiovascular disease
  • Obesity
  • High blood pressure

Interestingly, the cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic (CKM) syndrome is when a there are two concomitant factors, such as heart disease, kidney disease, type 2 diabetes, and/or obesity.

Additionally, there are a variety of diseases associated with kidney dysfunction:

  • Lupus nephritis
  • Kidney stones
  • Polycystic kidney disease (PKD)
  • Nephrotic syndrome
  • Electrolyte disorders

Another cause of CKD is infections of streptococci, hepatitis B and C, and HIV. These infections make the kidneys susceptible to glomerulonephritis (inflammation of glomeruli), interstitial nephritis (inflammation of tissues around the kidney tubules), and pyelonephritis (infectious bacteria that travel from the bladder to the kidney). The lack of timely care can prolong the infections and potentially cause more irreversible kidney damage.

What is Kidney Failure?

Kidney failure occurs when less than 10% of the kidney is functioning. There are just a few options at this point, either undergo dialysis to restore the correct levels of waste products, fluids, and electrolytes, or transplant a healthy kidney, Kidney transplant, although curative, relies on a matching donor and therefore can result in a lengthy wait.

Nephrology Research Makes a Difference

Research in CKD, ESRD, and kidney function have resulted in an enhanced understanding of and treatments for the loss of kidney function. In fact, obesity drugs such as glucagon-like peptie-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RA) and sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors are not only for weight loss, they are also able to improve kidney function (Badve et al., 2025; Palmer et al., 2021, 2022). The promise of slowing CKD progression will be an important goal to change the predicted prevalence of this disease in the years to come.

Ethos’ nephrology-focused ELISA kits are available to support the ongoing basic research that underlies these types of discoveries.

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References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Chronic Kidney Disease in the United States, 2023. Atlanta, GA: US Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 2023.

Badve, SV, Bilal, A, et al. (2025). Effects of glp-1 receptor agonists on kidney and cardiovascular disease outcomes: A meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, 13(1). https://doi.org/10.1016/S2213-8587(24)00271-7

Palmer, SC, Tendal, B, et al. (2021). Sodium-glucose cotransporter protein-2 (sglt-2) inhibitors and glucagon-like peptide-1 (glp-1) receptor agonists for type 2 diabetes: Systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. BMJ, 372. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.m4573

Palmer, SC, Tendal, B, et al. (2022). Sodium-glucose cotransporter protein-2 (sglt-2) inhibitors and glucagon-like peptide-1 (glp-1) receptor agonists for type 2 diabetes: Systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials (correction). BMJ, 376. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.o109

Vollset, SE, Ababneh, HS, et al. (2024). Burden of disease scenarios for 204 countries and territories, 2022–2050: A forecasting analysis for the global burden of disease study 2021. The Lancet, 403(10440), P2204-2256. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(24)00685-8

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