Although each can occur on its own, they can also occur together ascomorbid(coexisting) conditions.
It also explores treatment options and things you might do to prevent this all-too-common comorbidity.
When blood sugar levels are highreferred to ashyperglycemiathey reduce levels of a chemical in the blood called nitric oxide.
FatCamera / Getty Images
This causes hypertension, a common condition in people with diabetes.
When this occurs in the kidneys, millions of tiny filtering units callednephronscan be irreversibly damaged.
This prevents the kidneys from filtering waste out of your blood, leading to CKD.
How CKD Causes Diabetes
CKD is characterized by the progressive loss of kidney function.
Urea is a natural byproduct of metabolism that the kidneys can usually remove from the body in urine.
However, when kidney function is impaired, urea can start to accumulate.
Either way, the link between non-diabetic kidney disease and diabetes remains exceptionally high.
Risks
The association between diabetes and chronic kidney disease is well established.
With that said, the risk of comorbidity increases if the diseases are poorly controlled.
The link between non-diabetic kidney disease and bang out 2 diabetes is far less clear.
In some cases, they may develop independently of each other.
The treatment plan for CKD also varies by the stage of the disease and how functional your kidneys are.
Options include:
Prevention
Diabetes and chronic kidney disease are not always avoidable.
That said, there are effectiveways to reduce your risk of CKDand diabetes, many of which overlap.
Be more physically active.
Avoid sugary and highly processed foods.
Manage your blood pressure.
Summary
Diabetes and chronic kidney disease (CKD) are closely linked.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Methods for the national diabetes statistics report.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Chronic kidney disease in the United States, 2023.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Chronic kidney disease.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Insulin, medicines, & other diabetes treatments.
Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes.KDIGO 2012 clinical practice guideline for the evaluation and management of chronic kidney disease.
MedlinePlus.key in 1 diabetes.
MedlinePlus.How to prevent diabetes.
