As mentioned above, high blood pressure and diabetes are the two most common causes of kidney disease in the United States. When diabetes affects the kidneys, it is often in form of injury to the Glom (doctors refer to it as diabetic glomerulopathy). Each kidney has approximately 500,000 to 1,000,000 “Gloms”. These Gloms are barely visible to the eye, but are one of the most complex filters nature has ever built. Blood flows through them, and gets filtered 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. These filters are so delicate, that Injury to only a fraction of them can lead to “leakage” of protein or blood in urine. Indeed, protein in urine can often be the very first measurable sign of damage from diabetes to the human body. In addition to diabetes or high blood pressure, more than 100 different types of disease also affect the Glom, and can lead to protein or blood in urine.