How can diabetes affect the kidneys?
In diabetic kidney disease (also called diabetic nephropathy), cells and blood vessels in the kidneys are damaged, affecting the organs ability to filter out waste. Waste builds up in your blood instead of being excreted. In some cases this can lead to kidney failure. When the kidneys fail, a person has to have his or her blood filtered through a machine (a treatment called dialysis) several times a week, or has to get a kidney transplant.
In diabetic kidney disease (also called diabetic nephropathy), cells and blood vessels in the kidneys are damaged, affecting the organs ability to filter out waste. Waste builds up in your blood instead of being excreted. In some cases this can lead to kidney failure. When the kidneys fail, a person has to have his or her blood filtered through a machine (a treatment called dialysis) several times a week, or has to get a kidney transplant. See the following for more information: • The CDCs Web site section, Diabetes and Me: Learn About Diabetes • Kidney Disease of Diabetes, a fact sheet from the National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse • Nephropathy of Diabetes*, a professional journal article from the American Diabetes Association [Top] How can I keep my kidneys healthy if I have diabetes? Theres a lot you can do to prevent kidney problems. A recent study shows that controlling your blood glucose can prevent or delay the onset of kidney disease. Keeping your blo
