What problems does diabetic kidney disease cause?
What problems does diabetic kidney disease cause?
Professor Ian W Campbell
NetDoctor
The kidneys are essential organs:
they filter and eliminate the waste products of metabolism
they have a central role in controlling blood pressure and fluid balance in the body
they produce the key hormone, erythropoietin, that stimulates the bone marrow to manufacture red blood cells.
Diabetic kidney disease is the most common cause of kidney failure in the UK.
People with very poor kidney function require some form of artificial kidney support (dialysis) or a kidney transplant.
The increasing numbers of people with Type 2 diabetes has meant the demand for these facilities has been steadily climbing for several years.
Because the kidneys have a central role in controlling blood pressure, it's common for people with diabetic kidney disease to have raised blood pressure.
High blood pressure accelerates the decline in kidney function in nephropathy – in other words the two problems multiply each other’s effect. By lowering blood pressure, the rate of progression of diabetic kidney disease can be slowed down.
A target blood pressure of 130/80mmHg is recommended for diabetic patients with kidney disease.
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