Diabetic nephropathy is kidney damage caused by diabetes. Over time, high blood sugar can injure the kidney filters and blood vessels, leading to protein in the urine and loss of kidney function.
Over time, diabetes can damage the tiny blood vessels and filters inside the kidneys.
One of the earliest warning signs is albumin leaking into the urine, often picked up with an ACR test.
If the damage continues, creatinine can rise and eGFR can fall, leading to chronic kidney disease.
Many people feel fine early on. That is why routine urine and blood testing matters so much in diabetes.
Urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR) testing
Blood tests for creatinine and eGFR
Blood pressure review
Review of blood sugar control over time
Sometimes additional testing if the pattern does not look typical for diabetic kidney disease
If the urine or kidney pattern looks unusual, your clinician may look for other kidney diseases too instead of assuming diabetes is the only cause.
Better glucose control reduces ongoing stress on the kidney filters and can help slow progression.
Blood pressure control is one of the most important kidney-protective steps in diabetes.
ACE inhibitors, ARBs, and other kidney-protective diabetes medicines may be used depending on your situation.
Doctors watch urine albumin, creatinine, and eGFR trends to see whether treatment is working.
Urine albumin, blood pressure, blood sugar, and kidney labs tell the real story over time. Keeping them organized makes treatment decisions clearer.
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