Piero Ruggenenti

IRCCS – Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri, Centro di Ricerche Cliniche per le Malattie Rare “Aldo e Cele Daccò”, Unit of Nephrology, ASST Ospedale Papa Giovanni XXIII, Bergamo, Italy

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Nephropathy of type 2 diabetes is the leading cause of end stage renal disease (ESRD) [1].Currently, more than 50% of patients on renal replacement therapy in the US are diabetics. The yearly incidence of diabetics progressing to ESRD and the proportion of ESRD patients with diabetes is progressively increasing due to the ongoing epidemic of type 2 diabetes. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), diabetes affects over 170 million people, and, due to progressive ageing of the population, life-style modifications and increasing burden of obesity, this number is expected to rise to 370 millions by 2030 [2]. About one third of those affected will eventually have progressive deterioration of renal function [2]. Untreated, these patients progress to ESRD within 10 years or die prematurely because of cardiovascular complications (that are 10-fold more frequent than in those without and the general population) [1]. Costs for renal replacement therapy of these patients – and fo…