Diabetes and Kidney Disease

Diabetes and Kidney Disease

Diabetes is a disaterous problem that affects kidneys, heart and every other organ in the body. It is a disease in which the body is unable to properly use or produce insulin. Insulin, a hormone that is necessary for converting starches, sugar and other food into energy. The thing that leads to diabetes is unknown and there is no known cure. However, effective management may be achieved under a doctor's care.

Endocrinologists are specialists that treat diabetes. They are easy to find in most areas. Here are some examples: David Alster, MD of Tucson AZ, James Chappell, MD, FACE of Denver, CO, Dr Rosario Briones-Urbina of Toronto, Dr Yolanda Groenewoud of Toronto, Dr Anne Kenshole of Toronto, Dr Timothy M Murray of Toronto

In 2005, it was estimated that there were 20.8 million adults and children who are afflicted by this disease. That is approximately 7% of the population. Of that figure, 14.6 million people were diagnosed, but 6.2 million people were estimated to have diabetes but it had not been discovered yet. Also, approximately 54 million adults and children are pre-diabetic with one and a half million new disease found in people over 20, found yearly.

Diabetes is the most common cause of renal disease. Truly, hypertension and diabetes are the major causes of kidney disease. This is responsible for about 70 percent of renal failure cases with diabetes accounting of 44 percent of kidney failure cases. The early stages of kidney disease have no symptoms or signs . It quietly attacks your body and when it is detected, the pathology is so far advanced that it often is too advanced to prevent failure of the kidneys. Once your kidneys fail, you have two options: kidney transplant or dialysis. If you do not receive either one of these, you will eventually die.

How Diabetes causes Kidney Disease

When both kidneys are serving as they should, the glomeruli (tiny filters that are in the kidneys) keep your serum proteins inside of your body. Protein is necessary for a variety of functions inside of your body and are required for keeping you healthy. Diabetes creates an increased concentration of glucose in the blood which damages the glomeruli. The result is that they can't maintain the protein in the body and it leaks into the urine from the glomeruli.

When the kidneys are damaged they no longer function correctly and do not clean our waste and extra fluids as they should. When this occurs, the fluids and waste build up in the serum instead of being secreted through urine. The longer this happens, the worse the damage becomes until the kidneys eventually cease to function.

The Progression of Renal Disease

It often takes years for kidney disease from diabetes to develop. Some diabetics experience hyperfiltration in the first few years of their having diabetes. This means that the glomeruli actually function at a much higher capacity than normal. Once the damage starts, however, it is progressive. As a person develops kidney disease, they will have a blood protein known as albumin that finally begins to leak into the urine in small amounts. At this time, the glomeruli are actually working normally.

The progression of the disease will lead to more protein leaking into the urine and the glomeruli begin to progressively fail as the filtering apparatus begins to decrease. Waste is retained in the serum due to the filtration failure. Finally, the kidneys fail.

How to Prevent Kidney Problems if you have Diabetes

If you have diabetes, you can often prevent kidney failure. Use these suggestions to protect yourself: * Control your diabetes by eating well and getting good exercise * Take your medicine as your doctor has directed * Have your endocrinologist test your blood and urine routinely for kidney disease * If the laboratory test shows that you do have kidney disease, consider medicines such as ACE inhibitors and ARBs (angiotensin II receptor blockers) that can help keep your kidneys healthy.

A diagnosis of diabetes does not have to mean kidney disease. As long as you adequately treat your condition, manage it well and follow your physician's orders, there is no reason that you can't live a long, healthy, happy life - without kidney disease.