Kidney Disease
The kidneys are two bean-shaped organs. Each kidney is about the size of a fist. Your kidneys filter extra water and wastes out of your blood and make urine. Kidney disease means your kidneys are damaged and can’t filter blood the way they should.
You are at greater risk for kidney disease if you have diabetes or high blood pressure. If you experience kidney failure, treatments include kidney transplant or dialysis. Other kidney problems include acute kidney injury, kidney cysts, kidney stones, and kidney infections.
Understanding Your Kidneys & CKD
Kidney Disease Topics
Chronic Kidney Disease
Kidney Failure
Community Health & Outreach
Kidney Disease for Health Professionals
Healthy Moments Radio
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Clinical Trials
Watch a video of NIDDK Director Dr. Griffin P. Rodgers explaining the importance of participating in clinical trialsResearch Discoveries & News
- NIH-supported study suggests alternative to race-based kidney function calculations
- Identifying children at increased risk of chronic kidney disease progression
- Story of Discovery: Engineered Kidney Tissues and Organoids: Tools for Improved Disease Modeling and Development of Therapies
- Unraveling the molecular nature of blood vessel specialization in the kidney