Kidney Disease and Diabetes

Diabetes, medically known as diabetes mellitus, is a metabolic disorder that prevents glucose from breaking down correctly in the body. The body may not respond to insulin properly or the body may not produce enough insulin to control the blood sugar. When the condition is left untreated or an incorrect or inadequate treatment is prescribed, the continuous or recurring events of high blood sugar can do quite a bit of damage.

The most common problem in people with diabetes is that the sugar levels within the bloodstream begin to cause issues with the cardiovascular system. Oftentimes, high cholesterol goes hand-in-hand with diabetes. When the vessels become damaged, blood may not be able to pump efficiently.

Multiple Organs Affected

In addition to the heart, the vessels in other organs may also be affected. This leads to the entire organ potentially functioning improperly. For instance. the kidneys are comprised of many tiny blood vessels that work hard to filter the waste from the blood. Not only do they filter waste, but they also filter out excess fluid. When diabetes health is not taken care of properly, it can cause damage to the tiny vessels in the kidneys. This means that the waste and toxins will build up in the blood.

Besides the interruption of filtering the blood, the effect of hyperglycemia on the blood vessels and the nerves can lead to numbness and tingling in the extremities. When diabetes health is not managed properly, this nerve damage leads to pain and a burning sensation in the affected area. In the most severe cases, a patient may lose all feeling in the limb. This can lead to an injury, sore or infection arising and the patient being unaware until physical signs occur. With severe cases, amputation of the limb may be necessary.

Destructive to the Kidneys

According to the American Diabetes Association, diabetes is destructive to the process of the kidneys acting as a filter. While the kidneys remove waste and water through the tiny vessels known as nephrons, they leave protein and red blood cells in the blood, since these particles are too large to pass through the filtration system of the kidneys. When diabetes health is not controlled and high blood sugar levels get too excessive, they lead to the kidneys overworking and filtering too much blood. Eventually, beneficial protein slips through the nephrons and is released from the body with the urine.

The extent of the kidney damage from diabetes varies. In the early stages, it may go unnoticed. As it worsens, it may turn into end-stage renal disease or complete kidney failure that requires dialysis or a kidney transplant to correct.

To prevent kidney problems, patients with diabetes should control their condition with diet and exercise. Moreover, the patient should monitor his or her carbohydrate intake. In addition, he or she must take his or her diabetes medication as prescribed. The treatment options may include glyburide, insulin or metformin. The patient may also take Actos. However, while particular diabetes drug may be effective at regulating diabetes health, it may also lead to cardiovascular problems, including heart attack, stroke and congestive heart failure. Individuals with diabetes who take Actos for many years may experience bladder cancer. Due to this, thousands of lawsuits have been filed. The patient should be monitored for liver damage while he or she is taking the medication. ~DrugWatch.com~

Foot Problems Common Among Dialysis Patients

What is the problem and what is known about it so far?
Foot problems are common among people with diabetes. Most often, they occur because of nerve damage or poor blood circulation in the feet and legs. People with diabetes can develop serious ulcers (open sores) on their feet that are likely to get infected and are difficult to heal. As a result, people with diabetes are more likely than others to eventually need foot or leg amputations. Studies have shown that diabetic foot problems are more common among some ethnic groups than others. Studies have also found links between foot problems and other complications of diabetes, such as kidney disease. More study is needed to fully understand such links and how they may help to identify those in need of help to avoid foot problems and amputations.

Why did the researchers do this particular study?
The researchers wanted to learn more about how frequent foot problems are among people from different ethnic groups who have diabetes and advanced kidney disease.

Who was studied?
The study included 466 patients with diabetes from different ethnic backgrounds in the United States and the United Kingdom. The patients were receiving dialysis therapy for kidney failure.

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Making Sugar Count During The Holidays

American Diabetes Association - If you like sweets, one of the most tempting parts of the holidays is the dessert. Even though you have diabetes, you can still fit sweets into your meal plan.

Eating high-sugar foods like cakes, candy, cookies, and pies will make blood glucose rise, so do not just add them to your diet. Instead, substitute small portions of these sweets for other carbohydrates already in your meal plan. For example, if you want a small serving of pumpkin pie, then pass on eating a dinner roll during the main course.

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Cost of diabetes could be $3.35 trillion by 2020

The number of Americans diagnosed with diabetes and the related costs of the disease could reach catastrophic proportions, according to new research by the UnitedHealth Group.

The new projections are alarming, as more than 50% of Americans could have prediabetes or diabetes by 2020, which could carry a healthcare price tag of $3.35 trillion over the decade. New estimates show diabetes and prediabetes will account for an estimated 10% of total healthcare spending by the end of the decade at an annual cost of almost $500 billion –– up from an estimated $194 billion this year, UnitedHealth said in its new report, “The United States of Diabetes: Challenges and Opportunities in the Decade Ahead.”

Estimates in the report were calculated using the same model as the widely cited 2007 study on the national cost burden of diabetes commissioned by the American Diabetes Association, UnitedHealth noted.

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