What causes kidney disease?

Diabetes and high blood pressure are responsible for up to two-thirds of the cases of kidney disease. Other conditions are: glomerulonephritis, diseases that damage the kidney's filtering units, which are the third most common type of kidney disease; inherited diseases, such as polycystic kidney disease; malformations at birth that occur as a baby develops; lupus and other immune diseases; obstructions such as kidney stones or an enlarged prostate; and repeated urinary tract infections.