Diabetes and Kidney Disease

Diabetes (Read about "Diabetes") is the number one cause of chronic kidney failure, which is also called end stage renal disease (ESRD). Diabetes results in 35 percent of new ESRD cases each year. Diabetes-related ESRD is more common in certain minority groups. The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) says Native Americans have a more than 7 times higher rate than whites and African Americans a 3.6 times higher rate. (Read about "Minority Health") Mexican Americans' rate is 4 to 6 times higher then non-Hispanic whites. The longer a person has diabetes, the greater the risk they will progress to ESRD, but not every diabetic suffers kidney failure. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) says about 24 million people have diabetes and about 180,000 have ESRD as a result.

Blood vessels damaged

Blood sugar levels consistently greater than 130 will eventually damage blood vessels all over the body, small blood vessels in particular. (Read about "Vascular System") In the kidneys, tiny blood vessels intertwine with other vessels to take waste products and excess fluids out of the blood. (Read about "Kidney Disease") When those tiny vessels are damaged, they can't do the job correctly. High blood pressure (Read about "Blood Pressure and Kidney Disease") can result and make the problem worse, damaging more blood vessels and accelerating the progression of kidney disease.

Warning signs

NKF lists these as some of the signs that a diabetic may be developing kidney disease:

• high blood pressure (Read about "Hypertension: High Blood Pressure")
• need to urinate more often, especially at night
• swelling in the legs and the ankles
• protein in the urine (Read about "The Urinary System")
• higher levels of other substances such as creatinine and urea in the urine
• lowered need for insulin
• morning sickness, nausea and/or vomiting
• weakness
• pale pallor
• anemia (Read about "Anemia")
• itching

It is important for a diabetic to be aware of these symptoms. There is no cure for kidney disease. Treatment is preventative and involves strict blood sugar and blood pressure control. It is imperative that discussion with your healthcare provider happen if you have any of the signs.

Kidney failure

Many people live full and active lives with just one kidney. When your kidney or renal function drops to 10 to 15 percent however, you are said to have kidney failure. NKF says the time from the onset of diabetes related kidney disease to kidney failure is anywhere from 5 to 7 years. Once it happens however, a patient has two basic choices, dialysis or transplantation. (Read about "End Stage Renal Disease" "Transplants") Once again, NIDDK points out that many diabetics never suffer kidney failure - a good reason to treat your diabetes to avoid other problems.

Related Information:

    Kidney Cancer

    Polycystic Kidney Disease

    Bone Loss and Kidney Disease