Dr. Ward Bond - Nutritional Living Television, Inc.

Kidneys & Diabetes Part 1

This week’s subject comes at the request of many of our viewers who suffer with diabetes who end up with chronic kidney trouble. This chronic diabetes will damage the kidneys if the condition is not kept under control.

The kidneys are very complex organs that process about one liter of blood every minute, filtering out wastes and delivering them to the bladder as urine to be excreted. They maintain the correct balance of fluids, minerals, nutrients, and acid in the body. Of particular importance is their role in regulating the body's water balance and salt balance, both of which are critical for good health and for life itself. If either one gets thrown far enough off, you die.

Chronic kidney failure - the gradual loss of kidney function, resulting in potassium retention (which can cause cardiac arrest) and the buildup of metabolic wastes in the blood - is most often caused by diabetes or high blood pressure. It is a serious problem, and anything that can forestall it is worth investigating.

With diabetes, the small blood vessels in the body are injured. When the blood vessels in the kidneys are injured, your kidneys cannot clean your blood properly. Your body will retain more water and salt than it should, which can result in weight gain and ankle swelling. You may have protein in your urine. Also, waste materials will build up in your blood.

Diabetes also may cause damage to nerves in your body. This can cause difficulty in emptying your bladder. The pressure resulting from your full bladder can back up and injure the kidneys. Also, if urine remains in your bladder for a long time, you can develop an infection from the rapid growth of bacteria in urine that has a high sugar level.

About 30 percent of patients with Type 1 (juvenile onset) diabetes and 10 to 40 percent of those with Type 2 (adult onset) diabetes eventually will suffer from kidney failure.

Signs of Kidney Disease in Patients with Diabetes

• Albumin/protein in the urine
• High blood pressure
• Ankle and leg swelling, leg cramps
• Going to the bathroom more often at night
• High levels of BUN and creatinine in blood
• Less need for insulin or antidiabetic medications
• Morning sickness, nausea and vomiting
• Weakness, paleness and anemia
• Itching

Next week, we’ll look at what can be done to protect the kidneys and help them function correctly despite the diabetes. Be blessed and be healthy!

Ward W. Bond, Ph.D.