Diabetes is caused due to inaction of insulin, a hormone that controls the amount of sugar in blood. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease that stops insulin being made in the pancreas. In Type 2 diabetes, body is unable to use insulin properly. Each kidney contains up to one million nephrons, which filter blood. Diabetes can damage nephrons, leading to diabetic kidney disease or diabetic nephropathy.
Diabetic kidney disease often has no symptoms until it is well advanced. Some signs include increasing amounts of albumin (or protein) in your urine, high blood pressure, reduced kidney filtration rate. The kidney filtration rate (glomerular filtration rate or GFR) does not usually fall until diabetic kidney disease is advanced. Once the GFR is reduced, it tends to fall at a steady rate unless the right treatment is given. Key risk factors include age, family history and the no. of years a person is suffering from diabetes. If a person is suffering from diabetes s/he must immediately quit smoking. Prolonged exposure to nicotine (smoking) affects the RAAS system and could be a possible cause of chronic kidney disease. Diabetic patients must go for blood tests and check their creatinine levels on a yearly basis. If diagnosed early, chronic kidney disease can be managed successfully and progression can be significantly delayed.
Complications of diabetic nephropathy:
Cardiovascular disease – Includes all diseases of heart and blood vessels. The most common diseases include heart attack, heart failure, stroke, and blocked blood vessels. Read more on Cardio Disease.
Retinopathy – This is damage to the blood vessels in your retina at the back of your eye. Retinopathy can cause loss of vision or blindness.
Neuropathy – This is damaged nerves and can cause weakness in your arms and legs or problems in organs, such as your digestive system heart and sexual organs.