The kidneys are vital organs responsible for waste management, which is crucial for maintaining your body’s chemical balance and blood pressure. If you don’t take care of your kidneys, you risk a slew of health problems, some of which could cause the organs to shut down altogether.
Kidney disease and diabetes go hand in hand; indeed, diabetes is the leading cause of kidney disease. About 1 in 3 adults with diabetes also have kidney disease. The high blood sugar levels that come with diabetes may damage the kidneys’ filtration system, making it harder for them to get rid of toxins.
Diabetic nephropathy, also called diabetic kidney disease, is a serious kidney-related complication of type 1 and type 2 diabetes. About 40 percent of people with diabetes will likely develop a form of chronic kidney disease (CKD), such as diabetic kidney disease. Early on, diabetic kidney disease has no symptoms.
The best way to prevent or delay diabetic kidney disease is to maintain healthy blood sugar and blood pressure levels via lifestyle modifications and medication under the guidance of your doctor. Two classes of diabetes medications, sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2s) and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1s), have shown efficacy in protecting the kidneys. Several of these, including Jardiance and Ozempic, were approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to reduce the risk of worsening CKD, kidney failure, and cardiovascular death.
Lifestyle habits that can also help include regular exercise; checking your blood glucose to ensure your blood sugar is in a healthy range; timely screening for kidney disease; and not smoking.
Here are some additional steps you can take on your own to protect your kidneys when you have diabetes.
