http://kidneyfoundation.wordpress.com/2011/10/07/what-are-the-3-major-causes-of-kidney-failure-in-living-kidney-donors-and-can-any-of-these-3-be-prevented/

What are the 3 major causes of kidney failure in living kidney donors and can any of these 3 be prevented?

First of all, kidney failure in someone who has been a living kidney donor is exceedingly rare.  Most people who have donated a kidney to a loved one live normal healthy lives and in fact have been shown to be healthier than the average person in the rest of the United States.  With that being said, people who donate kidneys suffer the same problems as their family members or friends to whom they donate a kidney.  The two most common causes of kidney failure are high blood pressure and diabetes.  Donors are screened for these diseases, but they still may develop in later life.  Other causes can be acute kidney injury from many causes and if the recipient has a glomerulonephritis or a hereditary kidney disease, family members may also be predisposed to develop these diseases and progress to kidney failure with only one kidney.  The most important thing a donor can do is have annual testing of blood pressure, kidney function and check urine for protein spilling.  If any of these occur, treatment should be initiated promptly.