Kidney Failure Causes & Risks

Causes

Kidney disease causes the tiny filters in the kidneys (called nephrons) to lose their ability to filter. Damage to the nephrons may occur suddenly after an injury or poisoning. But, many kidney diseases take years or even decades to cause damage that is noticeable.

The two most commons causes are:

Diabetes —high blood sugar can damage nephrons
High blood pressure —severe high blood pressure can damage blood vessels in the kidneys

Others causes include:

Pyelonephritis
Glomerulonephritis
Polycystic kidney disease
Birth defects
Bilateral renal artery stenosis
Poisoning
Severe trauma
Viral infections (eg, hepatitis B , hepatitis C , HIV/AIDS )
Long-term use of medicines that contain aspirin , acetaminophen , ibuprofen
Abnormal build-up of substances within the kidneys (eg, amyloidosis , protein build-up)
Toxic reaction to drugs or x-ray dyes
Systemic diseases (eg, lupus , polyarteritis , Wegener’s granulomatosis
Conditions that severely decrease the amount of blood (eg, burns , pancreatitis , peritonitis )
Conditions that make it difficult to urinate (eg, enlarged prostate , kidney stones , tumors)

Renal Failure

A blockage from kidney stones has caused renal failure.

Risk Factors

These factors increase your chance of developing kidney failure. Tell your doctor if you have any of these risk factors:

Diabetes
Genetics: polycystic kidney disease , type 1 diabetes
Race: African Americans
High blood pressure
Lupus or other autoimmune diseases
Long-term use of pain medications containing aspirin or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in high doses
Liver failure, jaundice
Respiratory failure
HIV
Cancer
Recent open heart surgery
Recent surgery on an abdominal aortic aneurysm
Condition that obstructs urine flow
Enlargement of the prostate gland

Please be aware that this information is provided to supplement the care provided by your physician. It is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. CALL YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IMMEDIATELY IF YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Copyright © 2025 EBSCO Publishing All rights reserved.