Causes of Chronic Kidney Disease

A summa cum laude graduate of Denison University with a BS in biology, Dr. Rex Mahnensmith received his MD from the Yale School of Medicine (YSM) before fulfilling his internship and residency in internal medicine. An internist at StayWell Health Center in Waterbury, Connecticut, Dr. Rex Mahnensmith completed a fellowship in nephrology at YSM and has since focused on diagnosing and treating individuals with chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Also known as chronic kidney failure, CKD describes the gradual inability of the kidneys to filter excess fluid and waste from the body. While indicators of CKD might be limited in its nascent stages, they include the buildup of electrolytes, fluid, and waste to dangerous levels at an advanced stage, culminating in complications such as anemia, hypertension, nerve damage, and compromised nutrition and skeletal integrity.

A potential complication of CKD, hypertension is also one of the leading causes of the disease; indeed, along with diabetes, it accounts for approximately 65 percent of all cases. The third leading cause of CKD, glomerulonephritis refers to a constellation of disorders that inflame and damage the kidney’s filtering units. Similarly, chronic inflammation of the organ’s tubules and neighboring structures known as interstitial nephritis can also result in CKD.

Other causes of CKD include autoimmune and inherited diseases such as lupus and polycystic kidney disease, respectively. Pyelonephritis and various conditions resulting in protracted obstruction of the urinary tract have also been implicated in the etiology of CKD.