Diabetic Nephropathy - Kidney Disease
Kidney disease is also known as diabetic nephropathy
Kidney disease amongst diabetics is commonly called diabetic nephropathy.
Approximately 40% of people with diabetes will develop nephropathy.
Diabetes affects the arteries of the body and as the kidneys filter blood from many arteries, kidney problems are a particular risk for people with diabetes.
What is diabetic nephropathy?
Nephropathy is a general term for the deterioration of proper functioning in the kidneys. At an advanced level, this is called end-stage renal disease or ESRD. ESRD often stems from diabetes, with diabetes causing just under half of all cases.
Diabetic nephropathy can be caused by both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
Diabetic nephropathy is divided into five stages of deterioration, with the final one being ESRD. It commonly takes over 20 years for patients to reach stage 5.
Symptoms of kidney disease
The symptoms of diabetic nephropathy tend to become apparent once the condition has reached the later stages, typically the following symptoms may start to be noticed around stage four of its progression:
- Swelling of the ankles, feet, lower legs or hands caused by retention of water
- Darker urine, caused by blood in the urine
- Becoming short of breath, when climbing the stairs for instance
- Tiredness as a result of a lack of oxygen in the blood
- Nausea or vomiting
To help catch nephropathy before the later stages develop, people with diabetes should be screened for kidney complications once a year. The screening test involves a simple urine sample which is tested to detect whether protein is present in the urine.
- Read more on kidney disease screening
Diabetic nephropathy is when the kidney’s ability to filter the blood becomes impaired. Diabetic related kidney damage usually progresses over a periods of years or decades depending on how good your blood glucose control is.
If you are regularly screened, at least once a year, for kidney damage, it can be spotted in the early stages before it becomes serious. About 40% of people with diabetes are expected to develop nephropathy at some point in their life.
The symptoms of nephropathy tend to come on once it has been developing for some time.
It’s important therefore that you attend your retinopathy screening each year. Symptoms of developed kidney damage can include:
- Swelling of the lower leg - caused by water retention
- Darker coloured urine
- Lethargy and shortage of breath
- Nausea or vomiting
People with diabetes should be screened for kidney function at least once each year. Regular screening is relatively easy as it just involves a urine sample to check for the presence of protein.
Kidney damage may be treated by dietary changes which may be specifically recommended by a specialist depending on the extent of nephropathy.
High blood pressure is likely to make kidney damage worse so it’s common for blood pressure lowering drugs to be prescribed to help prevent further damage.
What are the causes of diabetic nephropathy?
Diabetic nephropathy is directly influenced by hypertension (high blood pressure), and in patients with hypertension acceleration through the stages of diabetic nephropathy may be more rapid.
Is it possible to prevent diabetic nephropathy?
It is possible to slow the progression of diabetic nephropathy through intensive management of the disease and its symptoms. This can include taking medication to lower blood pressure.
How is diabetic nephropathy treated?
Diabetic nephropathy is treated in different ways dependant on:
- Age, overall health, and medical past
- The extent of the disease
- Personal tolerance for specific medications, procedures, or therapies
- Personal opinion and preference
Like the treatment of diabetes, diet and exercise are very important and strict blood glucose control is also essential.
Taking medication to lower blood pressure may be necessary.
When a patient initially reaches ESRD the blood is sometimes cleaned with dialysis, or in some cases the kidney may be transplanted.
