The rising tide of end-stage renal disease: what can be done?

The prevalence of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) is rising throughout the developed and developing world, although the rate of increase may be attenuating in some regions. Type 2 diabetes mellitus, often a consequence of obesity and accompanied by the metabolic syndrome, is a major cause of progressive renal disease and the increasing global burden of ESRD. Strategies that are cost-effective and applicable at the community level are urgently needed to stem the tide of both type 2 diabetes and the resulting ESRD. Primary and secondary prevention measures, involving screening and interventions, have demonstrated beneficial effects when appropriately designed and targeted to "high-risk" groups. If these strategies can be implemented at the societal level and compliance with the interventions is robust, it is entirely possible that the rising tide of ESRD can be converted into a receding tide of ESRD in the future.