
Does Eating Too Much Sugar Give You Diabetes? I Actually Do Work Out And Eat Healthy For The Most Part But I'm Wondering Because I Eat A Lot Of Sugar
Eating too much sugar causes diabetes. False: Type 1 diabetes happens when the cells in the pancreas(pronounced: PAN-kree-us) that make insulin (pronounced: IN-suh-lin) are destroyed. This process isn't related to how much sugar a person eats. With type 2 diabetes, the body can't respond to insulin normally. The tendency to get type 2 diabetes is mostly inherited. That means it's linked to the genes people get from their parents. Still, eating too much sugar (or foods with sugar, like candy or regular soda) can cause weight gain, and weight gain can increase a person's risk for developing the disease. Some newer research studies suggest that eating more sugar might increase a person's risk for getting type 2 diabetes, even without extra weight gain. This hasn't been completely proven to be true yet. People with diabetes can never eat sweets. False: You can have your cake and eat it too, just not the whole cake! People with diabetes need to control the total amount of carbohydrates (pronounced: kar-bo-HI-drates) in their diet, and sugary treats count as carbs. But this doesn't mean that they can't have any sweets. It just means that they should put the brakes on eating too many sweets and other high-calorie foods that are low in nutrients (like vitamins and minerals we all need). Eating too many of these foods also can make it less likely you'll want to eat healthier foods. People can outgrow diabetes. False: People don't grow out of their diabetes. In type 1 diabetes, the pancreas stops making insulin and won't make it again. People with type 1 diabetes will always need to take insulin, at least until scientists find a cure for diabetes. People with type 2 diabetes may find it easier to control blood sugar levels if they make healthy changes to their lives, like eating Continue reading >>

Diabetic Nephropathy
Diabetic nephropathy is kidney damage that occurs as a result of diabetes. Diabetic nephropathy causes illness and sometimes death for people with diabetes. Diabetes affects approximately seven percent of people in the United States. In fact, diabetes is the leading cause of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and kidney failure in the nation. People who already have diabetes are susceptible to developing diabetic nephropathy if they: are of African American, Hispanic or Native and Alaskan American origin have a family history of kidney disease or high blood pressure have poor control of blood sugar had type 1 diabetes before age 20 are a smoker Not everyone with diabetes develops chronic kidney disease, but researchers believe that those who do not properly control their blood glucose levels are at risk. The kidneys are each made up of around 1 million nephrons that remove extra fluid and wastes out from the blood. These nephrons help regulate water, salts, glucose, urea, phosphorus and other minerals. Those with diabetes have a lot of glucose that comes out in their urine. High blood sugar levels can damage the tiny blood vessels in the nephrons by thickening and scarring them so that over time they are damaged. When this happens, protein leaks through the kidneys into the urine. The nephrons are no longer able to filter properly and this is when kidneys damage can lead to kidney failure. Symptoms of diabetic nephropathy In the beginning stages of diabetic nephropathy, people may not experience any symptoms. Symptoms of diabetic nephropathy are similar to symptoms of chronic kidney disease and tend to occur in the late stages of kidney disease. These symptoms include: A metallic taste in the mouth or ammonia breath Nausea and vomiting Loss of appetite No longer wanting to ea Continue reading >>

Diagnosis And Treatment Of Diabetic Nephropathy In Type 1 And Type 2 Diabetes Patients
Zhenhua He* Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, USA Citation: He Z (2016) Diagnosis and Treatment of Diabetic Nephropathy in Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes Patients. J Mol Biomark Diagn 7:295. doi: 10.4172/2155-9929.1000295 Copyright: © 2016 He Z. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Visit for more related articles at Journal of Molecular Biomarkers & Diagnosis Abstract Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is the leading cause of end-stage renal disease and the care of patients with diabetes and DN contributes significantly to health care costs. Of patients with type 1 diabetes, approx 20%-30% will eventually develop DN, whereas about 10%-20% of those with type 2 diabetes will do so. In the past couple of decades, there have been notable advances in our knowledge regarding the DN, including the advent of interventions that can significantly slow or even reverse the course of progressive disease. This review describes the definition and detection of diabetic kidney disease, its natural history, current proven therapies, and potential future therapies. Introduction Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is the leading cause of end-stage renal disease and the care of patients with diabetes and DN contributes significantly to health care costs. Of patients with type 1 diabetes, approx 20%-30% will eventually develop DN [1], whereas about 10%-20% of those with type 2 diabetes will do so [2]. In the past couple of decades, there have been notable advances in our knowledge regarding the DN, including the advent of interventions that can significantly slow or even reverse the course of progressive d Continue reading >>

Diabetes And Renal Failure: Everything You Need To Know
Unfortunately, renal failure or nephropathy (commonly referred to as kidney failure) and unmanaged diabetes go hand in hand. In addition, 50 percent of people with diabetes will experience some form of kidney damage in their lifetime, even if they never experience kidney failure or end up on dialysis. In this article, we will look at how renal failure and insufficiency can have an impact on people with diabetes, and how people with diabetes can avoid renal failure and dialysis. We will look at risk factors, causes, and symptoms, as we explore the relationship between renal failure, diabetes, and high blood glucose. We will also look at what happens to a person with diabetes when their kidneys fail. We will discuss dialysis and kidney transplantation. First, let’s see what Lydia had to say when she contacted TheDiabetesCouncil. Lydia’s story Lydia had received a laboratory result from her doctor that was very alarming to her. She had an excess amount of protein in her urine, usually an early sign of kidney damage. He informed Lydia that her kidneys were being affected by her diabetes, and she needed to work on self-managing her diabetes. He ordered some more tests to further look at her kidneys. Was Lydia headed to the kidney dialysis center? Her friend Tracey, whom she’d met in a diabetes support group had been the first person she knew who was on dialysis. Tracey seemed to have a very difficult life in and out of the dialysis center. Lydia was afraid to end up like Tracey. Lydia knew that she hadn’t been efficiently self-managing her diabetes. Her A1C had been greater than 8 percent a few times over the last few years. While most of the time she kept it around 7.5 percent, she was aware that her doctor wanted her to get it below 7 percent, and keep it there in Continue reading >>

Recent Advances In Diabetic Nephropathy
The classical definition of diabetic nephropathy is of a progressive rise in urine albumin excretion, coupled with increasing blood pressure, leading to declining glomerular filtration and eventually end stage renal failure. Patients generally have diabetic retinopathy. Recently, greater appreciation of the close links between nephropathy and cardiovascular disease have lead to the inclusion of premature cardiovascular disease, cardiovascular risk increasing in parallel with albuminuria (box 1). Diabetic nephropathy is now the single commonest cause of end stage renal failure worldwide and is acknowledged as an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. In many countries, the majority of diabetic patients starting renal replacement therapy now have type 2 rather than type 1 diabetes. This review will therefore encompass nephropathy in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Box 1: Clinical definition of diabetic nephropathy Progressive rise in urine albumin excretion. Progressive rise in blood pressure. Eventual decline in glomerular filtration rate and end stage renal failure. In the presence of diabetic retinopathy. Accompanied by progressive rise in cardiovascular risk. NATURAL HISTORY OF NEPHROPATHY Type 1 diabetes The initial rise in protein excretion is small and highly selective, albumin being the main protein excreted in excess. At this stage, specific immunologically based assays detect small increases in urine albumin which are below the detection limit of conventional dipstick tests (table 1). This so-called microalbuminuria generally appears within 5–15 years’ duration of diabetes. Without specific intervention, over approximately a further 10 years, albumin excretion slowly increases through the microalbuminuric range, until dipstick positive or conve Continue reading >>

Insulin Resistance In Diabetic Nephropathy — Cause Or Consequence?
Abstract Insulin resistance (IR) is associated with multiple risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Many studies have shown that IR is present in chronic renal failure (CRF), and recent evidence suggests that IR can also occur in the early stages of renal disease. Patients with diabetic nephropathy (DN) have an increase in cardiovascular mortality, and since IR may be a contributing factor, this emphasizes the importance of a detailed understanding of the mechanisms linking IR and renal dysfunction at different stages of DN. IR can be detected early on in DN, e.g. at the stage of microalbuminuria (MA) and this could indicate a common genetic trait for IR and DN. As DN progresses further, IR is aggravated and it may, in addition to other factors, possibly accelerate the decline in renal function toward end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Several potentially modifiable mechanisms including circulating hormones, neuroendocrine pathways and chronic inflammation, are said to contribute to the worsening of IR. In ESRD, uremic toxins are of major importance. In this review article, we address the association between different stages of DN and IR and attempt to summarize major findings on potential mechanisms linking DN and IR. We conclude that IR is a consequence, and potentially also a cause of DN. In addition, there are probably genetic and environmental background factors that predispose to both IR and DN. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Continue reading >>

Diabetic Nephropathy
Diabetes can affect many parts of the body, including the kidneys. In healthy kidneys, many tiny blood vessels filter waste products from your body. These blood vessels have holes that are big enough to allow tiny waste products to pass through into the urine. But the blood vessels are still small enough to keep useful products (such as protein and red blood cells) in the blood. High levels of sugar in the blood can damage these vessels if diabetes is not controlled. This can cause kidney disease, which is also called nephropathy. If the damage is bad enough, your kidneys could stop working. Diabetic nephropathy does not usually cause any symptoms until kidney damage is severe. As the condition progresses, symptoms can include the following: If you have been diagnosed with diabetic nephropathy, you can slow down the damage. Here are some of the most important things you can do to protect your kidneys: Keep your blood pressure lower than 140 over 90. High blood pressure can speed up damage to the kidneys. Your doctor may give you medicine to help lower your blood pressure. Control your blood sugar level. You should take your diabetes medicines and/or insulin exactly as your doctor prescribes. Stick to a healthy diet. People who have diabetic nephropathy may need to eat less protein. Stop smoking. Check with your doctor before taking any new medicines. This includes vitamins, herbal medicines, and over-the-counter medicines. Keep all of your doctor appointments. Even with the right treatments, diabetic nephropathy can get worse over time. Your kidneys could stop working. This is called kidney failure. If this happens, waste products build up in your body. This can cause nausea, vomiting, weakness, shortness of breath, and confusion. In severe cases, kidney failure can cau Continue reading >>

How Does Diabetes Affect Our Kidneys?
The kidneys filter nearly 200 quarts of our blood every day. Diabetes is a disease of excess sugar in our blood. To remove this excess glucose from the body, the kidneys are under extreme stress and this can easily result in a kidney disorder, called diabetic nephropathy. In 2011, diabetes caused nearly 44% of kidney failure cases. This makes diabetic kidney disease the Number One complication of diabetes; one that is likely to affect almost every diabetic to some extent. In nearly half the cases of kidney disease, it could lead to kidney failure as well. Diabetes damages the kidneys and the urinary system in three main ways: Damage to blood vessels in the kidneys: Too much sugar damages the filters in the kidneys Damage to nerves: Fine nerves in the hands, feet, etc. are corroded by the extra sugar in the blood Damage to the urinary tract: Nerves run from our bladder to our brain and let us know when the bladder is full and we need to go. Damage to these nerves could mean we don’t react when our bladder is full. Result: extra pressure on the kidneys. Retained urine can also allow urinary tract infections to grow and migrate back to the kidneys. Read this excellent article for more info on how diabetes affects kidneys and how to reduce the risks of diabetic nephropathy. Continue reading >>

Kidney Disease Of Diabetes
Each year in the United States, more than 100,000 people are diagnosed with kidney failure, a serious condition in which the kidneys fail to rid the body of wastes. Kidney failure is the final stage of kidney disease, also known as nephropathy. Diabetes is the most common cause of kidney failure, accounting for nearly 45 percent of new cases. Even when diabetes is controlled, the disease can lead to nephropathy and kidney failure. Most people with diabetes do not develop nephropathy that is severe enough to cause kidney failure. About 18 million people in the United States have diabetes, and more than 150,000 people are living with kidney failure as a result of diabetes. People with kidney failure undergo either dialysis, which substitutes for some of the filtering functions of the kidneys, or transplantation to receive a healthy donor kidney. Most U.S. citizens who develop kidney failure are eligible for federally funded care. In 2003, care for patients with kidney failure cost the Nation more than $27 billion. African Americans, American Indians, and Hispanics/Latinos develop diabetes, nephropathy, and kidney failure at rates higher than Caucasions. Scientists have not been able to explain these higher rates. Nor can they explain fully the interplay of factors leading to diabetic nephropathy—factors including heredity, diet, and other medical conditions, such as high blood pressure. They have found that high blood pressure and high levels of blood glucose increase the risk that a person with diabetes will progress to kidney failure. There are two types of diabetes. In both types, the body does not properly process and use food. The human body normally converts food to glucose, the simple sugar that is the main source of energy for the body’s cells. To enter cells, Continue reading >>

Diabetic Nephropathy
What Is It? Diabetic nephropathy is kidney disease that is a complication of diabetes. It can occur in people with type 2 diabetes, the diabetes type that is most common and is caused by resistance to insulin, or in people with type 1 diabetes, the type that more often begins at an early age and results from decreased insulin production. Diabetic nephropathy is caused by damage to the tiniest blood vessels. When small blood vessels begin to develop damage, both kidneys begin to leak proteins into the urine. As damage to the blood vessels continues, the kidneys gradually lose their ability to remove waste products from the blood. Up to 40% of people with type 1 diabetes eventually develop significant kidney disease, which sometimes requires dialysis or a kidney transplant. Only four to six percent of all type 2 diabetes patients end up requiring dialysis, although about 20% to 30% of people with type 2 diabetes will develop at least some kidney damage. About 40 percent of all people who need to start dialysis have kidney failure from type 1 or type 2 diabetes. Symptoms There are usually no symptoms in the early stages of diabetic nephropathy. When symptoms do begin to appear, they may include ankle swelling and mild fatigue. Later symptoms include extreme fatigue, nausea, vomiting and urinating less than usual. Diagnosis The first sign of kidney damage is protein in the urine, which a doctor can measure in microscopic amounts, called microalbuminuria. Small amounts of albumin show up in the urine 5 to 10 years before major kidney damage happens. If you have diabetes, your doctor will suggest regular monitoring of urine and blood tests to check the health of your kidneys. Occasionally, a doctor may be concerned that kidney injury in a diabetic person is related to a separ Continue reading >>

Identifying Parameters To Distinguish Non-diabetic Renal Diseases From Diabetic Nephropathy In Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Meta-analysis
Abstract Renal injuries in patients with diabetes include diabetic nephropathy (DN) and non-diabetic renal diseases (NDRD). The value of a clinical diagnosis of DN and NDRD remains inconclusive. We conducted a meta-analysis of the literature to identify predictive factors of NDRD and to compare the clinical characteristics of DN and NDRD for differential diagnosis. We searched PubMed (1990 to January 2012), Embase (1990 to February 2009), and CNKI (1990 to January 2012) to identify studies that enrolled patients with DN and NDRD. Then, the quality of the studies was assessed, and data were extracted. The results were summarized as odds ratios (ORs) for dichotomous outcomes and weighted mean differences (WMDs) for continuous outcomes. Results Twenty-six relevant studies with 2,322 patients were included. The meta-analysis showed that the absence of diabetic retinopathy (DR) predicts NDRD (OR, 0.15; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.09–0.26, p<0.00001). A shorter duration of diabetes mellitus (DM) also predicted NDRD (weighted mean difference, −34.67; 95% CI, −45.23–−24.11, p<0.00001). The levels of glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1C%), blood pressure (BP), and total cholesterol were lower in patients with NDRD, whereas triglycerides and body mass index were higher. Other clinical parameters, including age, 24-h urinary protein excretion, serum creatinine, creatinine clearance, blood urea nitrogen, and glomerular filtration rate were not different between patients with NDRD and DN. We identified that the absence of DR, shorter duration of DM, lower HbA1C, and lower BP may help to distinguish NDRD from DN in patients with diabetes. This could assist clinicians in making a safe and sound diagnosis and lead to more effective treatments. Continue reading >>
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Diabetic Nephropathy: Common Questions
Diabetic nephropathy, or diabetic kidney disease, affects 20 to 30 percent of patients with diabetes. It is a common cause of kidney failure. Diabetic nephropathy presents in its earliest stage with low levels of albumin (microalbuminuria) in the urine. The most practical method of screening for microalbuminuria is to assess the albumin-to-creatinine ratio with a spot urine test. Results of two of three tests for microalbuminuria should be more than 30 mg per day or 20 mcg per minute in a three- to six-month period to diagnose a patient with diabetic nephropathy. Slowing the progression of diabetic nephropathy can be achieved by optimizing blood pressure (130/80 mm Hg or less) and glycemic control, and by prescribing an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor or angiotensin receptor blocker. Patients with diabetes and isolated microalbuminuria or hypertension benefit from angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers. In the event that these medications cannot be prescribed, a nondihydropyridine calcium channel blocker may be considered. Serum creatinine and potassium levels should be monitored carefully for patients receiving angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers. These medications should be stopped if hyperkalemia is pronounced. Key clinical recommendation Label References Hypertensive patients with diabetes and microalbuminuria should be given ACE inhibitors to protect the kidneys by reducing the albumin excretion rate. A 16 Patients who receive ACE inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers should have their serum potassium levels monitored for hyperkalemia. C 19 Diagnosis of Diabetes with Renal Manifestations Diabetic nephropathy presents in its earliest stage with low levels of albumin (microalbuminu Continue reading >>

Diabetic Nephropathy
Practice Essentials Diabetic nephropathy is a clinical syndrome characterized by the following [1] : Persistent albuminuria (>300 mg/d or >200 μg/min) that is confirmed on at least 2 occasions 3-6 months apart Elevated arterial blood pressure (see Workup) Proteinuria was first recognized in diabetes mellitus in the late 18th century. In the 1930s, Kimmelstiel and Wilson described the classic lesions of nodular glomerulosclerosis in diabetes associated with proteinuria and hypertension. (See Pathophysiology.) By the 1950s, kidney disease was clearly recognized as a common complication of diabetes, with as many as 50% of patients with diabetes of more than 20 years having this complication. (See Epidemiology.) Currently, diabetic nephropathy is the leading cause of chronic kidney disease in the United States and other Western societies. It is also one of the most significant long-term complications in terms of morbidity and mortality for individual patients with diabetes. Diabetes is responsible for 30-40% of all end-stage renal disease (ESRD) cases in the United States. (See Prognosis.) Generally, diabetic nephropathy is considered after a routine urinalysis and screening for microalbuminuria in the setting of diabetes. Patients may have physical findings associated with long-standing diabetes mellitus. (See Clinical Presentation.) Good evidence suggests that early treatment delays or prevents the onset of diabetic nephropathy or diabetic kidney disease. This has consistently been shown in both type1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus. (See Treatment and Management). Regular outpatient follow-up is key in managing diabetic nephropathy successfully. (See Long-term Monitoring.) Recently, attention has been called to atypical presentations of diabetic nephropathy with dissociati Continue reading >>

How Does Hyperglycemia Affect The Body?
When high blood sugar (hyperglycemia) is persistent, the doctor diagnosis diabetes. We call this type of diabetes uncontrolled. Uncontrolled diabetes leads to complications of diabetes like damage to the lining of the arteries in all the key organs, which is what causes the following complications of diabetes: kidney damage (nephropathy), eye damage (retinopathy), brain and nerve damage (neuropathy), as well as heart attacks and strokes (vascular damage). Diabetic Nephropathy This type of kidney damage is due to small blood vessel disease from uncontrolled diabetes, which leads to decreased kidney function. Diabetic nephropathy develops when the hemoglobin A1C level has been more than 7% for a number of years. When diabetes control has been poor, irreparable kidney damage is caused in the filtration units, called glomeruli. Eventually this will result in the need for kidney dialysis or a kidney transplant. On the other hand management of diabetes with a hemoglobin A1C of less than 7% will usually prevent this from happening. Also, the ACE inhibitor drugs captopril (brand name: Capoten) and enalapril (brand name: Vasotec) can be used to repair some of the glomeruli micro-damage to a large extend and also help reduce high blood pressure. Diabetic Retinopathy The eye damage from uncontrolled diabetes is called diabetic retinopathy. The retina of the eyes is another area where changes to the blood vessels are immediately detectable. The eye-specialist can see changes in the blood vessels long before they lead to complications such as swelling of the retina (= macular edema), proliferative changes, retinal detachment or retinal hemorrhage. Diabetic retinopathy from uncontrolled diabetes is one of the many causes of blindness. Again, it cannot be emphasized enough how importa Continue reading >>

Nitric Oxide System And Diabetic Nephropathy
Abstract About 30% of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus develop clinically overt nephropathy. Hyperglycemia is necessary, but not sufficient, to cause the renal damage that leads to kidney failure. Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a multifactorial disorder that results from interaction between environmental and genetic factors. In the present article we will review the role of the nitric oxide synthase (NOS) in the pathogenesis of DN. Nitric oxide (NO) is a short-lived gaseous lipophilic molecule produced in almost all tissues, and it has three distinct genes that encode three NOS isoforms: neuronal (nNOS), inducible (iNOS) and endothelial (eNOS). The correct function of the endothelium depends on NO, participating in hemostasis control, vascular tone regulation, proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells and blood pressure homeostasis, among other features. In the kidney, NO plays many different roles, including control of renal and glomerular hemodynamics. The net effect of NO in the kidney is to promote natriuresis and diuresis, along with renal adaptation to dietary salt intake. The eNOS gene has been considered a potential candidate gene for DN susceptibility. Three polymorphisms have been extensively researched: G894T missense mutation (rs1799983), a 27-bp repeat in intron 4, and the T786C single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the promoter (rs2070744). However, the potential link between eNOS gene variants and the induction and progression of DN yielded contradictory results in the literature. In conclusion, NOS seems to be involve in the development and progression of DN. Despite the discrepant results of many studies, the eNOS gene is also a good candidate gene for DN. Introduction About 30% of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus develop clinically over Continue reading >>