Kidney failure is directly linked to nephropathy
What is nephropathy?
Nephropathy is the medical term for damage or disease of the kidney, which can result in kidney failure. The kidneys have an important function; to clean the blood and filter any waste products and dispose of it in the urine. The kidneys are responsible for releasing certain hormones and they regulate fluid and salts in the body.
Nephropathy is a progressive illness; it gets worse over time if untreated. Over time the kidneys can become less and less effective, resulting in serious illness. It is very important to receive diagnosis and treatment as soon as possible. Diabetes patients should have regular tests as recommended by their care team.
Nephropathy and diabetes
Diabetes patients are at a higher risk of nephropathy, particularly those who are not maintaining recommended blood glucose levels and blood pressure levels. As with many diseases there is an element of genetics which can make some people with diabetes more susceptible than others to nephropathy.
How can I prevent diabetic nephropathy?
A primary way to reduce the risk of diabetic nephropathy is maintaining good control of blood glucose levels and blood pressure, keeping them within a target range. This is effective at all stages:
- Significantly reducing the risk of kidney disease developing
- Significantly reducing progression, if kidney disease is already diagnosed
- There are studies which suggest that there may be an element of reversal for some elements of the disease
Nephropathy treatments
Nephropathy is treated according to severity which is usually determined by how early it is diagnosed. The treatments are:
- Self care – self applied treatment includes control of blood glucose and blood pressure. This can also include diet choices; studies suggest that low protein diets are beneficial to kidney failure patients. All diet changes should be recommended and approved by your care team.
- Medication – to reduce blood pressure. People with diabetes are often recommended ACE inhibitors; studies suggest that this type of medication can lower blood pressure and slow kidney disease.
- Dialysis – once the kidneys fail, dialysis becomes necessary. This is a process whereby an external machine cleanses the body of toxins to replace the normal function of the kidneys. This is done in a controlled medical environment and without this cleansing process the body cannot continue to function.
- Transplant – at some point of kidney failure an informed decision must be made by the patient with the help of the care team as to whether they should continue dialysis or undergo transplantation. A kidney transplant involves replacing the existing kidney with that of a donor.
