According to MSc.BS. CKI Tran Quoc Phong - Head of Urology Unit, An Binh Hospital, prolonged high blood sugar causes hemodynamic changes in glomerulonephlogy, causing increased filtration, thereby damaging endothelial cells and glomerulonephlogy membranes.
In addition, glycating products, oxidative stress, and inflammatory reactions promote kidney tissue fibrosis.
In the early stages, the kidneys may have increased filtration, so the blood creatinine index may not necessarily increase. One of the early signs is albumin appearing in the urine.
For people with type 1 diabetes, kidney screening is usually recommended after about 5 years of illness. Meanwhile, in people with type 2 diabetes, kidney damage may have appeared before the disease was diagnosed. Therefore, patients need to check kidney function immediately when the disease is detected and monitor periodically.
Two important tests to help detect kidney damage early include albumin/creatinineuria (UACR) and blood creatinine ratio to calculate estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR).
In addition, patients need to be assessed for blood pressure, HbA1c, blood lipids, total urine analysis and other causes if there are abnormal signs.
You should not wait until creatinine is high to detect kidney complications due to diabetes," Dr. Phong noted.
Early and stable blood sugar control helps reduce the risk of albuminuria and progression. However, kidney protection does not only depend on blood sugar.
Patients need to control blood pressure, weight, blood lipids, do not smoke and use drugs that protect the heart and kidneys when prescribed by a doctor.
Regarding diet, patients should limit salt, avoid soft drinks, do not overeat protein and do not arbitrarily use protein powder. Maintaining exercise and weight control also contribute to protecting kidney function.
Dr. Phong recommends that patients not arbitrarily use pain relievers or traditional medicines of unknown ingredients and origins. At the same time, they should not apply too strict diets because they can lead to malnutrition.
Diet needs to be adjusted according to the stage of kidney disease and the metabolic status of each patient.
