[Current developments in renal failure in diabetic patients]

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) has become the leading cause of end-stage renal disease. Recent studies demonstrate that in a significant part of diabetic patients the renal insufficiency is frequently caused by non-diabetic kidney diseases, so that an effective clarification of untypical clinical courses is mandatory. Important cornerstones of DKD therapy are an optimized glycaemic management as well as a good blood pressure control. Although the prognosis of DKD has been improved in the last years, it is, even with novel therapy approaches, not possible to prevent the development of DKD. It remains to hope that with extended knowledge, intensified preclinical studies and well-defined clinical trials novel nephroprotective therapies become available in the next years.