Diabetes and Kidney Disease

Diabetes is a  devastating disease that affects kidneys, stomach 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 precursor of diabetes is unknown and there is no known cure although effective control may be achieved under a endocrinologist’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, Marybeth U. Allian-sauer, MD of Aurora, CO, Rubina Aqeel, MD, FACE of Upland, CA, Brian Ellis Michael, MD, FACE of Wichita, KS, Lori Davis Book, MD of Colorado Springs, CO, Carl D Vance, MD at the Rocky Mountain Diabetes & Osteoporosis Center in Idaho Falls, ID

In 2005, it was estimated that there were 20.8 million people of all ages who are afflicted by this disease. That is just about 7% of the population. Of those, 14.6 million people were diagnosed, but 6.2 million people were estimated to have diabetes but they had not seen a doctor. Not only that but, about fifty four million people are pre-diabetic with 1 1/2 million diabetes found in people older than 20, showing up yearly.

Diabetes is the most common cause of kidney disease. In truth, high blood pressure and diabetes are the leading causes of kidney disease, causing an estimated 70 percent of kidney failure with diabetes accounting of 44 percent of kidney failure cases. The early stages of kidney disease have virtually so signs or symptoms . It quietly attacks your body and by the time it is finally detected, the injury is so problematic that it might well be too involved to prevent failure of the kidneys. Once your kidneys fail, you have two options: dialysis or kidney transplant. If you do not receive one of these, you will eventually die.

How Diabetes causes Kidney Disease

When your kidneys are working properly, the glomeruli (tiny filters that are in the kidneys) keep all proteins inside of your blood. Protein is essential for a multitude of operations inside of your body and are necessary for keeping you healthy. Diabetes makes too high of a concentration of glucose in the blood which damages the glomeruli. This means that they are no longer effective in keeping the protein in the body and it seeps into the urine from the glomeruli.

When kidneys are thus damaged they no longer function properly and do not clean our extra fluids as they should. When this occurs, the waste and fluids build up in the body instead of being removed through urine. As this continues, the worse the damage becomes until the kidneys eventually cease to function.

The Progression of Renal Disease

It often can take years for diabetic kidney disease 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 damage starts, however, it will continue to progress. As a person develops kidney disease, they will have a blood protein named albumin that will start to flow into the urine in small amounts. At this time, the glomeruli are really functioning normally.

The progression of the disease will lead to more protein passing into the urine and the glomeruli begin to systematically fail as the filtering function begins to decrease. Waste is retained due to the filtration failure. Eventually, the kidneys fail.

How to Prevent Kidney Problems if you have Diabetes

Having diabetes, you can often prevent kidney failure. Use these steps to keep your kidneys healthy:
* Control your diabetes by eating well and exercising regularly
* Take your medicine as your doctor has directed
* Have your physician test your blood routinely for kidney problems
* If the laboratory test shows that you do have kidney problems, look into medicines like angiotensin II receptor blockers that can help keep your kidneys healthy.

A diagnosis of diabetes does not have to lead to kidney disease. As long as you stay on top of your condition, manage it well and follow your doctor’s orders, there is no reason that you can’t live a long, healthy, happy life – without kidney disease.

Diabetes News is free in your email weekly at http://diabetes.endlessfreeplr.com

Related posts:

1. Chronic Kidney Failure Diet – Is It Really Effective In Reversing The Progression Of Kidney Diseases?Patients who have chronic renal failure may be familiar with the chronic kidney failure diet. During these past few years, more and more people have been using it because of...
2. What Is Chronic Kidney Failure? What Causes Chronic Kidney Disease?Chronic kidney failure, also known as chronic renal failure, chronic renal disease, or chronic kidney disease, is a slow progressive loss of kidney function over a period of several years....
3. Elite Renal Doctors Advanced Diet For Kidney Disease PatientsSo you've been diagnosed with kidney disease. More than likely your kidneys are damaged and are no longer working as well as before. The first thing your doctor will do...
4. Blood Pressure Meds Can Protect Kidney HealthWhat's good for your heart is also good for your kidneys, according to recommendations from the Texas Campaign for Kidney Health, a collaborative of health care stakeholders seeking to prevent...
5. 800,000 People With Diabetes Risk Serious Health Problems, UKDiabetes UK warns that 797,067 people with diabetes in the UK are not achieving their recommended blood glucose levels. Data from GP practices of 2,366,363 people with diabetes over the...
6. Enzyme May Hold The Key To Treating Kidney Disease And DiabetesOver £320 000 has been jointly awarded to Nottingham Trent University and The University of Sheffield by The Wellcome Trust, to fund important research into an enzyme which is believed...
7. Kidney Diet For People Who Have Kidney ProblemsKidney diet can be urgent. Kidney disease is a painful problem. When an individual hears they have kidney disease, their initial thoughts are in many cases of poor health and...
8. Kidney Function Decline Increases Risk Of Heart Failure And Premature DeathDeclining kidney function is linked to a higher risk of heart failure, heart attack, peripheral arterial disease, and early death in individuals with or without kidney disease, according to a...
9. New Data Shows Kidney Disease Rising Due To Rampant Rates Of DiabetesNew data confirms the rate of chronic kidney disease is inching upward, keeping pace with the rising rates of diabetes. In late September, the U.S. Renal Data System published its...
10. New Data Shows Kidney Disease Rising Due To Rampant Rates Of DiabetesNew data confirms the rate of chronic kidney disease is inching upward, keeping pace with the rising rates of diabetes. In late September, the U.S. Renal Data System published its...
11. Kidney Disease Patients Benefit From Surgery To Prevent StrokePhysicians should be comfortable referring some patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) for effective stroke prevention surgery, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of...
12. High Blood Pressure Easy To Miss In Children With Kidney DiseaseSpot blood pressure readings in children with chronic kidney disease often fail to detect hypertension even during doctor's office visits increasing a child's risk for serious heart problems, according to...
13. Passing Kidney Stones – Good Alternative Treatment For Passing Kidney Stones QuickyDifficulty in passing kidney stones is now a thing of the past. This is because of the great working natural treatment solutions now available. Safe and quick working 24 hour...
14. Connection Between High Blood Pressure And DiabetesOne of my friend was lately diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. It came as total shocker to her as she didn't fell any symptoms like lack of energy, frequent urination...
15. Biomarkers For Diabetic Kidney Failure Identified By TGen AnalysisResearchers using a DNA analysis tool developed by the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) and UCLA have identified genetic markers that could help treat chronic kidney disease among diabetics. Study...