Diabetes and kidney disease: What you need to know

Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney disease today. In fact, about 1 out of 3 adults living with diabetes also have kidney disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

That’s because uncontrolled blood sugar levels can damage the blood vessels in your kidneys, causing permanent problems. This type of kidney disease even has its own name: diabetic nephropathy.

Damage to the kidneys from high blood sugar is a slow but steady process in the body. It usually takes many years for permanent kidney damage to occur. But here’s the good news: If caught early enough, both diabetes and kidney disease can be effectively managed and treated to prevent long-term effects in the body.

Here’s what you need to know about both diabetes and kidney disease.

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What is diabetes?

Diabetes is a condition in which your body can’t properly manage blood sugar, or glucose. More than 10% of adults in Hawaii have diabetes, and an estimated 9,000 new cases are diagnosed in the state each year, according to the American Diabetes Association.

There are two types of diabetes: type 1 and type 2. In people with type 1 diabetes, the body can’t produce a hormone called insulin. This hormone is necessary to move glucose (from the food we eat) out of the bloodstream and into the cells, where it can be used as fuel. In people with type 2 diabetes, the body can’t properly regulate insulin levels.

With both types of diabetes, the result is the same: Higher than normal blood sugar levels that can cause damage to other parts of the body, including the eyes, heart, nerves — and the kidneys. 

You may be able prevent chronic kidney disease by effectively managing your blood sugar levels. This can be done through lifestyle changes such as a healthy diet, regular exercise, and weight management — as well as treatments recommended by your doctor.

Recommended reading: How diabetes affects your body from head to toe

Why your kidneys are critical for health

Think of the kidneys as an all-important filter. They take waste that the body doesn’t need from the blood and excrete it through the urine. (Urine is produced by the kidneys.) In fact, the kidneys filter waste from about one-half cup of blood every minute.

The kidneys also have other important jobs in the body. For one, they regulate fluid levels, thereby helping to regulate blood pressure. They also remove acid, produced by cells in the body, from the blood. And they help manage the amount of key minerals, such as calcium and phosphorus, in the bloodstream. These minerals are important for strong bones; if the body doesn’t get enough of them — which can result from diseased kidneys — it can cause weak bones and frequent fractures. The kidneys also produce certain hormones that help control blood pressure.

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Diabetes and kidney disease

Over time, high blood sugar levels can damage the blood vessels in the kidneys. High blood pressure — also common among those with diabetes — can also damage the kidneys. This damage to the kidneys is irreversible. This is why getting screened for kidney disease if you have high blood sugar is so important.

In fact, the American Diabetes Association recommends that people with diabetes get screened for diabetic kidney disease every year. If detected early enough, kidney disease can be effectively managed to prevent long-term damage to the kidneys. 

Permanent damage to the kidneys could result in a need for dialysis. This is when a medical device must take over for the kidneys, removing waste from the blood. 

See how HMSA can help support your diabetes care and kidney health.
Whether you’re newly diagnosed or have been managing these conditions for a while, we’re here for you. Find diabetes support tools and resources here, and get help managing kidney disease here. 

Testing for kidney disease

In its early stages, chronic kidney disease has no symptoms. This is why screening regularly for kidney disease when you have diabetes is so important.

Screening for chronic kidney disease involves taking a blood and urine test. Each test measures the buildup of wastes that would normally be filtered out if the kidneys were working properly. 

The eGFR test

This blood test measures glomerular filtration rate, or how much blood your kidneys filter each minute.

• An eGFR rate of 90 or over is considered normal.
• An eGFR rate of 60 to 89 may mean early-stage kidney disease.
• An eGFR rate that’s below 60 may mean chronic kidney disease.

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The albumin test

This urine test measures how much albumin, a protein, is in your urine. Healthy kidneys don’t let albumin pass from the blood into the urine. That’s why the less albumin there is in your urine, the healthier your kidneys are. A urine albumin result of 30 or higher usually indicates kidney disease.

Talk to your health care provider about getting screened for high blood sugar and kidney disease. These screenings are critical to staying healthy for the long haul. When diabetes and chronic kidney disease are found early enough, there is a lot that can be done to prevent disease progression — and long-term damage to the body.  

See our sources:
Percent of Hawaiian population with diabetes: American Diabetes Association 
Diabetic kidney disease: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases 
Diabetes and CKD: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 
What is diabetes? Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases 
Fight to end diabetes: American Diabetes Association 
How the kidneys work: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases 
Health checks for people with diabetes: American Diabetes Association 
Slow the progression of CKD: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases 
Kidney failure: National Kidney Foundation 
Estimated GFR: National Kidney Foundation 
Urine albumin-creatinine ratio: National Kidney Foundation 
 

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