The contemporary definition of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is based on 2 criteria: 1) kidney damage lasting ł3 months, defined as the presence of structural or functional kidney abnormalities with normal or decreased glomerular filtration rate (GFR), which presents as morphological abnormalities or as markers of kidney damage, including abnormalities in the blood or urine composition, 2) GFR <60 ml/min/1.73 m² lasting ≥3 months with or without kidney damage. The prevalence of CKD in Poland and in the world approximates 11% of the general population. The most common cause of chronic renal failure is diabetes and arterial hypertension.