Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease that affects 366 million people worldwide ( 6.4 % of the adult population ) and is expected to rise to 522 million by 2030 . Diabetic nephropathy occurs in approximately one - third of all people with diabetes and is the leading cause of renal failure in developed and developing countries Diabetic nephropathy is a severe complication occurring in diabetic patients and it is associated with an increased risk of all- cause mortality , cardiovascular disease and progression to end stage renal disease , requiring costly renal replacement therapy in the form of dialysis or transplantation