Diabetes mellitus, usually called diabetes, is a disease in which your body does not make enough insulin or cannot use normal amounts of insulin properly. Insulin is a hormone that regulates the amount of sugar in your blood. A high blood sugar level can cause problems in many parts of your body.
Are there different types of diabetes?
The most common ones are Type 1 and Type 2. Type 1 diabetes usually occurs in children. Type 2 diabetes occurs in people over 40 and is called adult onset diabetes mellitus. In Type 2, your pancreas makes insulin, but your body does not use it properly. Type 2 diabetes is particularly prevalent among African Americans, American Indians, Latin Americans and Asian Americans.
What does diabetes do to the kidneys?
Diabetes injures the small blood vessels in the body and as a result your kidneys cannot clean your blood properly. Your body will retain more water and salt than it should resulting in weight gain and ankle swelling. You may have protein in your urine. Also, waste materials will build up in your blood. Diabetes can also cause difficulty in emptying your bladder by injuring the nerves that control bladder function. The pressure resulting from your full bladder can back up and injure the kidneys or can develop urinary tract infections.
How many diabetic patients will develop kidney disease?
About 30 percent of patients with Type 1 diabetes and 10-40 percent of those with Type 2 (adult onset) diabetes eventually will develop kidney failure.
What are the early signs of kidney disease in patients with diabetes?
What will happen if my kidneys have been damaged?
First, the doctor needs to find out if your diabetes has caused the injury. If so, your doctor may refer you to a nephrologist, a specialist in kidney diseases. Your kidneys will work better and last longer if you:
What is end stage renal failure in patients with diabetes?
End-stage renal failure, or kidney failure, occurs when your kidneys are no longer able to support you in a reasonably healthy state, and dialysis or transplantation is needed. This happens when your kidneys function at only 10 to 15 percent. The usual span of time between the onset of diabetic kidney injury and kidney failure is about five to seven years.
How is kidney failure treated in diabetic patients?
Kidney transplantation, hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis.
What about pancreas transplants?
Sometimes it is possible to perform a pancreas transplant along with a kidney transplant.
What about a low-protein diet?