How many people does it affect?
Every year, about two in every 10,000 people experience nephrotic syndrome, which is around 10,000 sufferers in the UK. Its prevalence is difficult to establish in adults because the condition is usually a result of an underlying disease. In children, it is diagnosed in more boys than girls, usually between 2 and 3 years of age.
As well as the symptoms of the kidney disease itself, and the side effects of treatment, a significant proportion of sufferers ultimately end up with kidney failure, requiring dialysis and transplantation.