The #1 cause of kidney failure is diabetes. Kidney damage develops in about 20% of patients with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Problems start after 10 to 15 years of diabetes, and the kidney problems are associated with diabetic eye disease. Poor control of blood glucose and high blood pressure are factors which lead to this problem, and make it worse once it starts. Recent work has shown that lowering blood pressure, particularly using ACE inhibitors at the earliest stages, can have a major impact on reducing the progression of kidney disease

Links

http://diabetes.webmd.com/tc/diabetic-nephropathy-topic-overview
http://www.diabetes.org/living-with-diabetes/complications/kidney-disease-nephropathy.html
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/healthlibrary/conditions/diabetes/diabetic_nephropathy_kidney_disease_85,P00345