World Diabetes Day 2022: Diabetic patients are at high risk of chronic kidney disease. Here’s how to control blood sugar

Diabetes Mellitus in its advanced stages is characterized by elevated glucose (sugar) levels in blood and is usually brought to attention when the patient presents with weight loss, increased thirst and frequency of urination.

High glucose level is dangerous because it affects our nerves, eyes, heart, bones, brain, kidneys and almost every blood vessel in our body.

Over the years, the age at which diabetes is first detected has fallen, which means more and more younger people are getting diagnosed with it and many factors are to be blamed such as sedentary lifestyle, junk food (calorie dense snacks and drinks), irregular eating intervals etc. to name a few. This translates into a younger age at which the complications of diabetes also develop.

The unfortunate part is once these complications develop, the damage due to diabetes is already progressing rapidly. By the time a doctor is consulted for symptoms of the disease, the damage is quite advanced and there is very little that we can do to reverse it even with medications.

In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr Johann Varghese, Consultant, Endocrinology at SRV Hospital in Goregaon, revealed, “Kidney disease is an important and dreadful complication of diabetes mellitus. The kidneys are made up of millions of tiny filters which are known as nephrons. Diabetes tends to damage blood vessels and nephrons, many patients with diabetes also have hypertension (high BP) which adds to the injury. The damage progresses to various stages ultimately leading to kidney failure and the individual becomes dependent on dialysis and the quality of life is severely hampered. The risk of cardiac disease and eye disease also increases manifold in diabetic individuals with kidney disease.”

He added, “Unfortunately, in the early stages there are almost no symptoms. So the crux of the matter is catch the damage early or better still prevent them from happening altogether. How is this possible? All individuals above the age of 35 years should screen for diabetes and blood pressure as a part of annual check. Do not wait for the symptoms to manifest.”

He suggested the following tips to prevent chronic kidney disease if you are a diabetic patient:

1. Maintain a diet of fruits, vegetables, lean meat, nuts, low salt diet and low fat dairy products. Avoid bakery products.

2. Exercise regularly – at least walk / jog / run daily for 30 mins

3. Do not self-medicate. Always consult your Physician or Endocrinologist.

4. Once diabetes develops, ensure that annual check for renal profile, urine protein and eye exam are done. You can repeat these more frequently if diabetes is uncontrolled.