Diabetes patients should be careful to prevent kidney damage.

 

The kidneys are made up of tiny blood vessels and receive a large amount of blood flow, with about 20% of the blood pumped from the heart flowing into them. They also filter waste products from urine. When there is a high level of glucose in the blood and urine, the kidneys are inevitably strained. This article explores diabetic nephropathy, one of the complications that diabetic patients need to be especially cautious about.

 

Diabetic nephropathy is a disease caused by a persistent high blood sugar condition, leading to a decline in kidney function to below approximately 60%. Complications are broadly classified into macrovascular and microvascular complications, with diabetic nephropathy falling under microvascular complications.

 

Diabetes mellitus is an inevitable complication that occurs frequently. In Korea, 30-40% of diabetic patients suffer from diabetic nephropathy. It is known that the longer the duration of diabetes, the more the kidneys are damaged due to secondary metabolites related to blood sugar.

The risk of diabetic nephropathy increases when accompanied by comorbidities such as hypertension, obesity, and dyslipidemia. Ultimately, it can progress to end-stage renal failure requiring dialysis or kidney transplantation.

Thorough blood sugar management is both the prevention and treatment of diabetic nephropathy. Be careful with what you eat, exercise regularly, and take the appropriate medication.

 

Even among patients with the same diabetes, dietary therapy varies completely depending on how much kidney function remains.

 

It is commonly known that diabetic patients should eat brown rice instead of white rice, but for diabetic patients with significantly impaired kidney function (stage 4-5 renal failure), it is better to eat white rice instead of brown rice.

 

Because the nutrients like fiber and potassium found in mixed grains can negatively affect impaired kidneys. Therefore, patients with diabetic nephropathy should regularly monitor their kidney function and work closely with healthcare professionals to develop effective management strategies.

Do not take the medication carelessly. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can further damage the kidneys of patients with diabetic nephropathy. Even when purchasing a painkiller at the pharmacy, you must inform the pharmacist of your existing health conditions. Be cautious with the contrast agents used during CT (computed tomography) scans.

 

To prevent the progression of the disease, strict blood sugar control is fundamental. Additionally, it is advisable to undergo kidney function tests annually. Diabetic nephropathy has few symptoms in its early stages, and only after the disease has progressed to some extent do symptoms such as foamy urine, frequent urination, nocturia, edema, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, and shortness of breath appear. At this point, kidney function may already be significantly impaired, making treatment difficult, so regular check-ups for early detection are important.

 

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For people with severe kidney issues, white rice instead of brown rice.

 

Healthy rice also varies according to the medical condition.

There are things to avoid as well.

 

I should consistently get health check-ups.