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...