We conducted a narrative review of the literature using PubMed for English language articles that contained keywords that related to diabetes, chronic or diabetic kidney disease, ageing, cellular senescence, arterial stiffness, Klotho and sirtuins, sodium‐glucose co‐transporter‐2 (SGLT‐2) inhibitors, renin angiotensin aldosterone system (RAAS) and glucagon‐like peptide‐1 (GLP‐1) receptor agonists. The gene discussed is SLC5A2; the disease is diabetic kidney disease.