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Staff Reporter Blood pressure and diabetes are responsible for nearly 70 percent of cases of kidney failure reported in Spain. In many instances, the condition could be avoided by the practice of daily exercise and adopting sensible eating habits. Julio Marco-Franco, the president of the organising committee of a Nephrology Society Congress being held in Palma, specified that correct diet and exercise can help to reduce the necessity for medication. Doctor Javier Díez, a specialist from the University of Navarre, warned that around 40 percent of Spaniards who suffer from high blood pressure are unaware of the fact; and that of the remaining 60 percent, only 20 percent are receiving correct treatment. There are 8 million people in Spain who have high blood pressure, a condition that will affect 12 million Spaniards in the next decade if a change in lifestyle isn't adopted, he predicted. It is the lifestyle that gives rise to blood pressure, which in turn has become a public health issue, specified Díez. He also warned that if people don't adopt a healthier outlook on life, medicines that are used to treat the condition “will have very little effect”. The excessive consumption of salt, of liquorice and certain pharmaceutical products can have an influence on blood pressure, added Díez. Doctor Marco emphasized that the incidence of kidney failure in the population stands at 120 new cases per million inhabitants and reported that the number of patients who require some type of treatment rises to 900 (per million inhabitants). Last year in the Balearics, 127 new cases of kidney failure were detected which highlights this region as one of Europe's leaders in terms of registered sufferers. He clarified however, that there isn't an abnormal growth pattern in the archipelago. Every 10 years the numbers suffering from kidney failure doubles, pinpointed Marco. He stressed that diabetes is reaching epidemic proportions, with an annual increase of 12 percent.