'DKD' as the kidney disease relevant to individuals with diabetes

Even though chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a significant comorbidity in individuals with diabetes, there appears to be worldwide confusion regarding the terminology used to describe it, including diabetic nephropathy, diabetic kidney disease (DKD), CKD with diabetes, diabetes and CKD, etc. In Japan, we have encountered similar confusion regarding the terminology used to describe kidney disease in individuals with diabetes, especially when written in Japanese due to terminological similarities in Chinese characters. The primary issue in Japan was deciphering the significance of "Diabetic," specifically whether it is an essential attribute of the condition itself. The confusions may arise from the deficiencies in establishing a clear criterion for the disease concept, whether it is diabetic nephropathy or DKD. Furthermore, among specialists in the field, each may have their own concept of the disease. In this regard, the Japanese Diabetes Society and the Japanese Society of Nephrology updated the corresponding Japanese term for DKD and defined the concept of DKD with rationale. The goal of these efforts should be the future improvement of the prognosis of DKD patients, the stakeholders.