Causes of Chronic Renal Failure

Written by Wu Ji

Nephrology

Updated on July 01, 2025

00:00

00:00

The causes of chronic renal failure mainly include primary and secondary glomerular diseases. Secondary glomerular diseases include diabetic nephropathy, hypertensive glomerulosclerosis, lupus nephritis, etc. They also include tubulointerstitial diseases such as chronic pyelonephritis, chronic uric acid nephropathy, obstructive nephropathy, drug-induced nephropathy, etc. In addition, there are also renal vascular diseases, hereditary kidney diseases, etc. In developed countries, diabetic nephropathy and hypertensive glomerulosclerosis have become the main causes of chronic renal failure. In developing countries, these two diseases still rank behind primary glomerulonephritis as causes of chronic renal failure, but there has been a noticeably increasing trend in recent years.

Other Voices

home-news-image

Written by Zhou Qi

Nephrology

1min

home-news-image

Factors that exacerbate chronic renal failure

Patients with chronic kidney failure should pay close attention to potential triggers that could worsen kidney failure. Avoiding or managing these triggers is crucial for slowing the progression of chronic kidney failure. Common causes include various factors that lead to renal ischemia and hypoxia, such as diarrhea, vomiting, and heat stroke in the summer. These factors can cause dehydration, leading to ischemia and hypoxia in the kidneys, which is a common scenario for the acute exacerbation of chronic kidney failure. Secondly, obstructions in the urinary system can also contribute to the progression of chronic kidney failure. For example, urinary system stones and benign prostatic hyperplasia in males can cause urinary obstruction, leading to further deterioration of kidney function. Finally, infections, heart failure, and hypercalcemia are also factors that can potentially worsen chronic kidney failure.

home-news-image

Written by Zhou Qi

Nephrology

49sec

home-news-image

Chronic renal failure inevitably has symptoms.

Patients with chronic kidney failure do not necessarily have symptoms, and the symptoms of each patient are not exactly the same. Chronic kidney failure refers to the damage to the kidneys by various chronic kidney diseases, eventually leading to the kidneys' inability to adequately excrete metabolic waste, causing the accumulation of water and metabolic waste in the body. This leads to disturbances in the patient's electrolytes and may also present clinical symptoms such as anemia and hypertension. However, not all patients feel discomfort, so chronic kidney failure is also known as the silent killer. If a patient undergoes a blood test, it will show an increase in blood creatinine and urea nitrogen, which is the only common feature among all patients with chronic kidney failure.

home-news-image

Written by Zhou Qi

Nephrology

1min

home-news-image

What medicine is used for chronic renal failure?

The treatment of chronic renal failure primarily requires identifying the cause and treating it accordingly. Chronic renal failure refers to the state in which various diseases damage the kidneys, leading to the destruction of kidney tissue and resulting in the kidneys' inability to adequately excrete metabolic waste, causing an accumulation of such wastes in the body. There are no medications that can directly affect the kidneys, regenerate kidney tissue, and restore kidney function. Currently, medicine cannot achieve this, and there are no specific drugs for the treatment. Therefore, the treatment of chronic renal failure focuses on treating the primary disease to slow the progression of renal failure. For example, chronic renal failure caused by diabetes necessitates the use of insulin to control blood sugar, while patients with hypertension need to use antihypertensive drugs.

home-news-image

Written by Zhou Qi

Nephrology

53sec

home-news-image

Can patients with chronic renal failure have sexual intercourse?

Patients with chronic renal failure can have sexual intercourse, but there are prerequisites. Since sexual activity is physically demanding and requires adequate cardiopulmonary function, patients can engage in sexual activity if they do not experience chest tightness or shortness of breath and their blood pressure is well controlled. If there are no obvious symptoms of fatigue, difficulty breathing, or chest tightness during sexual activity, there should be no significant problems. However, since the patients have chronic renal failure, it is advisable to avoid conception unless prepared for pregnancy. Pregnancy can further burden the kidneys in female patients and potentially exacerbate chronic renal failure. Male patients with chronic renal failure may be taking medications that could affect sperm quality. Therefore, contraception should be practiced unless preparations have been made.

home-news-image

Written by Pan Wu Shan

Nephrology

1min 11sec

home-news-image

What is good to eat for chronic renal failure?

Dietary aspects of chronic kidney failure should be divided into two parts. Firstly, for patients who have not reached the uremic phase and have not undergone dialysis, it is important to maintain a low-salt, low-fat, high-quality low-protein diet, limiting salt intake to no more than three grams per day and avoiding fried and greasy foods. Lower-quality proteins like beans, soybeans, mung beans, etc., should be consumed in smaller quantities. Instead, more animal proteins should be consumed, such as lean meats, eggs, and milk. Once patients have entered the uremic phase and have started dialysis, a low-salt, low-fat, high-quality high-protein diet is necessary, as dialysis requires a significant amount of energy. Additionally, it is crucial to restrict fluid intake; consuming too much salt or water can easily lead to generalized edema and cardiovascular complications.