How diabetes can lead to kidney problem

How diabetes can lead to kidney problem?

The importance of control to avoid complications and development of chronic kidney problem

Diabetes can be a lifelong condition that requires patients to develop new habits and abandon old ones. The good news is that diabetes can be controlled with a little bit of discipline. By managing your diabetes, you can continue enjoying life and potentially avoid complications like kidney disease, which can develop in patients with diabetes.

If diabetes is uncontrolled, the consequences can be serious. About 30% of patients with type 1 diabetes will develop kidney disease.¹ The number increases to 40% in patients with type 2 diabetes.¹ But the proper lifestyle, diet, and probiotics can help you keep your diabetes in check and help maintain proper kidney function.

The connection between diabetes and kidney health

Diabetes mellitus is classified as either type 1 or type 2.

Type 1 diabetes occurs when the pancreas is not able to produce insulin.¹ Insulin helps the body metabolize sugar. With no insulin, the result is high blood glucose, which causes problems throughout parts of the body. In order to make up for this, patients with type 1 diabetes will need insulin injections for the duration of their life along with regular exercise and a strict diet.

In type 2 diabetes, the pancreas is able to produce insulin, but the body does not use it properly.¹Because the body is producing insulin, patients may not need insulin injections but they will still need regular exercise and a strict diet to keep their blood glucose levels within the normal range. Unlike patients with type 1 diabetes, there is a possibility of eliminating symptoms of type 2 diabetes if blood glucose can be controlled with medication, diet, and/or regular exercise. But this can be difficult to achieve and many patients are unable to go into remission.

So how does diabetes affect your kidneys? A healthy kidney consists of tiny blood vessels that filter toxins from the blood. In both type 1 and type 2 diabetes, the small blood vessels in the kidneys become overworked because they are filtering more blood due to high levels of blood glucose. Over time, this leads to kidney disease.¹ If your kidneys begin to shut down, these toxins will slowly build up in the blood, leading to end-stage renal disease. However, a healthy lifestyle coupled with the right probiotic can help support your kidney function long into your future and may help you avoid these issues.