What is Nephropathy?
Diabetes is the leading cause of end-stage renal (kidney) disease. Diabetic nephropathy is a progressive disease that takes several years to develop. Many tiny blood vessels in the kidney act as filters to remove wastes, chemicals, and excess water from the blood. In diabetic nephropathy, these blood vessels are damaged, become leaky, and protein eventually spills into the urine (proteinuria). Eventually, the damaged filters are destroyed, putting more stress on the remaining filters and eventually causing them to become damaged. Click here to learn more about nephropathy and other diabetic complications. Back to top.
