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Primary Care
Associates, P.C. AnMed Health Campus 2000 East Greenville Street Suite 1600 Anderson, South Carolina 29621 Telephone: 864.226.9193 |
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DIABETES AND KIDNEY DISEASE Diabetes is the single leading cause of chronic kidney failure in the U.S., accounting for about 35 percent of the new cases each year and 25 percent of all cases. Diabetic kidney disease is more common among certain minority groups in the U.S. For example, Native Americans have a 7.4-fold higher rate than whites and African Americans have a 3.6-fold higher rate than whites. Hispanic Americans also have an increased risk of developing diabetic kidney disease. Mexican Americans, for example, are reported to have 4.5 to 6.6 times the rate among non-hispanic whites. There are different types of diabetes. The most common are: Type 1, which is caused by an inability of the pancreas to produce insulin, and Type 2, in which the pancreas produces close to normal amounts of insulin, but the body is unable to use it properly. New evidence suggests that the incidence of irreversible kidney failure may be about the same for both groups. The development of diabetes involves two aspects: a genetic predisposition and a second event. In Type 1 diabetes, the second event might be a viral infection, such as chicken pox. In Type 2 diabetes, the most common second event is obesity. Diabetes damages small blood vessels throughout the body, affecting the kidneys as well as other organs and tissues including skin, nerves, muscles, intestines and the heart. Patients with diabetes can develop high blood pressure as well as rapid hardening of the arteries, which can lead to heart disease and eye disorders. Researchers feel that the presence of high blood pressure may be the most important predictor of which diabetics develop kidney disease. Therefore, the detection and control of high blood pressure are very important in diabetic patients. Specific high blood pressure medicines, such as the angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, may be the most effective in preventing diabetic kidney disease. The risk of developing kidney disease increases with the length of time a patient is diabetic. For those surviving 20 to 30 years with Type 1 diabetes, about 60 percent develop kidney disease, making it a frequent, but not inevitable, complication among this group. Some of the signs that a diabetic may be developing kidney
disease are: Since there is no cure for diabetic kidney disease, treatment
involves controlling the disorder and slowing its progression to irreversible kidney
failure. Some of the treatments that may be effective are: Three types of treatment are available to diabetics who experience kidney failure--kidney transplantation, hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis. The type of treatment chosen is determined by the general health and medical condition of the patient, by its impact on lifestyle and by personal preference. Many kidney specialists feel that for diabetics under 50 years of age, kidney transplantation may offer the best opportunity for rehabilitation and a normal lifestyle. |
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