Diabetic Kidney Problems Summary If you have diabetes, your blood glucose, or blood sugar, levels are too high. Over time, this can damage your kidneys. Your kidneys clean your blood. If they are damaged, waste and fluids build up in your blood instead of leaving your body. Kidney damage from diabetes is called diabetic nephropathy. It begins long before you have symptoms. An early sign of it is small amounts of protein in your urine. A urine test can detect it. A blood test can also help determine how well your kidneys are working. If the damage continues, your kidneys could fail. In fact, diabetes is the most common cause of kidney failure in the United States. People with kidney failure need either dialysis or a kidney transplant. You can slow down kidney damage or keep it from getting worse. Controlling your blood sugar and blood pressure, taking your medicines and not eating too much protein can help. NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Specifics Albuminuria National Kidney Foundation Glomerular Diseases National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Nephrotic Syndrome in Adults National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Find an Expert American Diabetes Association American Diabetes Association Directory of Diabetes Organizations National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Directory of Kidney and Urologic Diseases Organizations National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases National Kidney Foundation National Kidney Foundation Clinical Trials ClinicalTrials.gov: Diabetic Nephropathies National Institutes of Health Array Diabetes and kidney disease Microalbuminuria test Protein urine test Start Here Diabetes and Kidney Disease National Kidney Foundation Diabetic Kidney Disease (Diabetic Nephropathy) (Beyond the Basics) UpToDate Kidney Disease of Diabetes National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Living With Emergency Meal Planning for Diabetics National Kidney Foundation Treatments and Therapies Kidney Disease (Nephropathy) American Diabetes Association Kidney Replacement Therapy American Diabetes Association Kidney-Pancreas Transplant National Kidney Foundation Reference Desk Kidneys and How They Work National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Diagnosis and Tests MedlinePlus: Creatinine Statistics and Research Patient Access to Research American Diabetes Association Prevention and Risk Factors Prevent Diabetes Problems: Keep Your Kidneys Healthy National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Encyclopedia Protein electrophoresis – urine Journal Articles Diabetic Kidney Problems
