What is diabetic nephropathy?

Top nephrologists in Pune suggest that diabetic nephropathy is one of the various complications associated with poorly managed Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. It is a chronic kidney disease marked by the gradual loss of renal function due to uncontrolled diabetes. The condition is normally categorized by these three:

• Persistent albuminuria, that has been confirmed in two different instances - This refers to the increased levels of albumin in the urine. Albumin is a protein that is present in the blood. When the blood is filtered by a healthy kidney, it doesn’t allow any of the proteins to pass out. This holds true for albumin as well. However, if your kidney is damaged, it might allow the albumin to pass through it, which then mixes with the urine and is passed out of the body
• Progressive decline of GFR - One of the most important functions of the kidney is to filter blood and if anything is wrong with the kidney, this function will be drastically impacted. GFR refers to the glomerular filtration rate. A healthy person has a GFR in the range of 60 to 100 per cent, and those with kidney disease have a GFR of 15 to 60 per cent. A person with a GFR of less than 15 per cent is said to have kidney failure.
• Increased atrial blood pressure - It is usually considered to be a late symptom of diabetic nephropathy, however, it has been found that patients with early-stage diabetic nephropathy can also develop arterial hypertension.

Our kidneys are responsible for many important functions related to the purification of blood, metabolism and so on. Diabetic nephropathy prevents the kidneys from carrying out these functions, giving rise to severe complications.

What causes diabetic nephropathy?

Diabetic nephropathy is a result of long-term diabetes which has not been managed in the right way. When your blood sugar is not under control, it is likely to put an additional strain on other vital organs as well, thereby hindering their normal functioning. Diabetic nephropathy develops at a very slow and steady pace. For instance, if we talk about albuminuria, It is usually developed by patients post 15 years of the diabetes diagnosis. Although some patients may develop it a little earlier, the chances are significantly low.

It is pertinent to note that diabetic nephropathy is quite uncommon in people who have surpassed 10 years of having diabetes. Also, if the patient does not show any traces of diabetic nephropathy within 20 to 25 years of being diagnosed with diabetes, there are very low chances of him being diagnosed with the condition in the future as well.

Getting familiar with the other risk factors as well

Experts from the best hospital in Pune suggest that there are several other factors that could be linked to the increased susceptibility of a person to developing diabetic nephropathy. These include:

Excessive smoking, as it can lead to inflammation.

Age, with people above 65 falling in the high-risk group

Gender, with men being more likely to develop the problem as compared to women

Pre-existing health issues like obesity, chronic inflammation, hypertension, insulin resistance and elevated cholesterol.

If you can relate to any of the risk factors, it is important to get yourself assessed on a regular basis. You also need to ensure that your blood sugar levels are under control. You can consult the experts from the best hospital in Pune for unparalleled care and guidance.