What Are The Types Of Kidney Disease?

Diabetic Nephropathy

Diabetic nephropathy is a gradual loss of kidney function that can develop as a complication of type 1 or type 2 diabetes. Roughly twenty-five percent of diabetes patients will eventually develop this condition. Risk factors for diabetic nephropathy include poor control of blood glucose or cholesterol, hypertension, and tobacco use. To diagnose diabetic nephropathy, doctors will perform urine tests to check for high levels of protein, and blood tests will also be needed to provide more information about kidney function. CT and MRI scans help doctors assess blood flow within the kidneys, and patients might also need to have ultrasounds, renal analysis testing, or a kidney biopsy.

The most important steps in the treatment of diabetic nephropathy are to control blood glucose and hypertension. Prescription medications such as angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors may be necessary to reduce blood pressure, and patients may be asked to take statins to reduce cholesterol; these medications also reduce protein in the urine. In the advanced stages of diabetic nephropathy, patients will normally need to begin dialysis, and kidney transplants or kidney-pancreas transplants may be considered in certain cases.

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