The Hidden Link Between Diabetes and Chronic Kidney Disease

Several factors can lead to Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), but the National Kidney Foundation reports that almost 40% of individuals with diabetes develop CKD. Though it's easy to overlook or ignore statistics like these, the link is significant. Persistently high blood glucose levels, commonly known as blood sugar levels, are a primary feature of diabetes and can harm the kidneys, as well as other organs. This gradual damage results in decreased kidney function, which can ultimately lead to kidney disease.

Let's take a step back and focus on why this happens. Most people are born with two functioning kidneys, each containing millions of tiny filtering units, called nephrons, that are responsible for filtering your blood to remove wastes, toxins, and fluid – mostly water – and then allow the blood to reabsorb some of that water back into the blood vessels along with minerals and nutrients that your body needs. This process, commonly known as ‘filtering your blood,' happens around 50 times daily. That's a lot of filtering and a lot of work! Over time, consistently high blood sugar levels cause the blood vessels in the nephrons to narrow and become clogged, reducing blood flow through the kidneys. As blood flowing through the kidneys decreases, their filtering ability declines, resulting in kidney disease.

Sustained high blood sugar levels can also lead to bladder problems and urinary tract infections. Your bladder communicates with your brain when it is full, however, elevated blood sugar levels damage the nerves responsible for sending signals to the brain. As nerve damage progresses, your brain may not receive the signal that your bladder is full, and the pressure from a full bladder can harm the kidneys. Additionally, as urine remains in the bladder longer, bacteria that thrive in a high-sugar environment multiply rapidly, leading to urinary tract infections. Usually, these infections only affect the bladder, but they can spread to the kidneys.

The encouraging news is that all of this is often preventable or is slowed down by managing your blood sugar levels. If you've already been diagnosed with diabetes, you are probably working closely with your primary care doctor or an endocrinologist to monitor and stabilize your blood sugar levels throughout the day. Unfortunately, the National Institutes of Health reports that about 23% of people living in the United States have diabetes but don't know it. Often, diabetes remains undiagnosed for years because the symptoms develop gradually over time and might not be noticeable until the disease has advanced. Regular visits, usually yearly, with your primary care doctor are essential to identify issues with your blood sugar levels, especially for those with risk factors like obesity, a family history of diabetes, or high blood pressure.

Knowing your blood sugar levels and keeping them within your target range significantly reduces the long-term effects of high blood sugar on your kidneys and other organs. Usually, an annual A1C blood test measuring average blood sugar levels over the past 2-3 months is all it takes to determine if you have diabetes. You can also take a quick, 60-second online risk test at https://diabetes.org/diabetes-risk-test to determine if you're at high risk for diabetes.