{"id":31907,"date":"2026-10-06T13:45:50","date_gmt":"2026-10-06T11:45:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/test.nefrocenter.it\/kidney-complications-of-diabetes\/"},"modified":"2026-10-06T13:45:50","modified_gmt":"2026-10-06T11:45:50","slug":"kidney-complications-of-diabetes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/test.nefrocenter.it\/en\/kidney-complications-of-diabetes\/","title":{"rendered":"Kidney complications of diabetes"},"content":{"rendered":"

Diabetes is not only about blood glucose. When blood glucose levels remain high over time, the consequences can affect several organs, including the heart, eyes, nerves and kidneys<\/strong>. The kidneys in particular deserve special attention, because kidney damage can develop slowly and, in the early stages, without causing obvious symptoms.<\/p>\n

Regular check-ups and proper management of the main risk factors can help to detect kidney damage early and slow its progression<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Why can diabetes damage the kidneys?<\/h2>\n

The kidneys work like sophisticated filtration systems. Every day the blood passes through millions of tiny structures, the glomeruli, which allow the body to eliminate waste substances and excess fluids through the urine while retaining what it needs.<\/p>\n

Prolonged exposure to high blood glucose values can progressively alter this delicate network of small blood vessels. Over time, the filtration system can become less efficient and some proteins that should normally remain in the blood can begin to appear in the urine.<\/p>\n

This is known as diabetic kidney disease<\/strong>, one of the most important chronic complications of diabetes.<\/p>\n

Not everyone with diabetes necessarily develops kidney disease. The risk depends on many factors, including the duration of diabetes, blood glucose control, blood pressure, smoking, overweight and the presence of other cardiovascular or kidney conditions.<\/p>\n

Kidney complications: no symptoms at first<\/h2>\n

One of the most insidious aspects of the kidney damage associated with diabetes is the possible absence of symptoms in the early stages<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

A person may feel well while changes that can be detected by simple laboratory tests are already present in the kidneys. This is why waiting for a complaint to appear before checking kidney function can mean missing a valuable opportunity for early diagnosis.<\/p>\n

When kidney disease becomes more advanced, swelling of the legs and ankles, tiredness, changes in blood pressure, changes in the amount of urine, nausea, loss of appetite or other complaints may appear. These are, however, non-specific manifestations, which must always be assessed by the physician.<\/p>\n

Two essential tests to avoid kidney complications<\/h2>\n

In people with diabetes, the monitoring of kidney function relies above all on two parameters.<\/p>\n

The first is blood creatinine<\/strong>, which is used to estimate the glomerular filtration rate, generally indicated as eGFR<\/strong>. This value helps to understand how effectively the kidneys are filtering the blood.<\/p>\n

The second is the search for albumin in the urine<\/strong>. An increase in the urinary excretion of albumin can be one of the first signs of kidney involvement, even when filtration capacity is still preserved.<\/p>\n

It is important to consider them together: an apparently normal creatinine, on its own, is not always enough to rule out early kidney damage.<\/p>\n

The link between diabetes, high blood pressure and the kidneys<\/h2>\n

Diabetes and high blood pressure<\/strong> are a particularly delicate combination for kidney health.<\/p>\n

High blood glucose can damage the microcirculation of the kidney, while inadequately controlled blood pressure puts the small kidney vessels under further stress. At the same time, when kidney function deteriorates, it can become more difficult to keep blood pressure under control.<\/p>\n

This is why protecting the kidneys in a person with diabetes does not simply mean controlling blood sugar. It means considering blood glucose, blood pressure, cardiovascular health, body weight, diet and lifestyle<\/strong> at the same time.<\/p>\n

Protecting the kidneys<\/h2>\n

In recent years the management of people with diabetes and kidney disease has changed profoundly. Alongside glycemic control, treatment strategies are available that, in appropriately selected patients, can contribute to cardiovascular and kidney protection<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Treatment, however, must be built around the individual patient. Medicines, diet, physical activity and blood pressure and blood glucose targets must be established on the basis of the overall clinical condition and kidney function.<\/p>\n

Diet also deserves attention. There is no one-size-fits-all \u201ckidney diet\u201d: reducing salt, avoiding dietary excesses and following a balanced nutritional model are general recommendations, while any restrictions on protein, potassium, phosphorus or fluids must be assessed individually. Do-it-yourself approaches, especially when kidney function is already impaired, can be counterproductive.<\/p>\n

When the nephrologist comes into play<\/h2>\n

The relationship between the diabetologist, the general practitioner and the nephrologist becomes particularly important when tests show persistent albuminuria, a reduced glomerular filtration rate or a progressive worsening of kidney function<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The nephrology assessment makes it possible not only to establish the extent of the damage, but also to check whether diabetes is really its main cause or whether other kidney diseases are present.<\/p>\n

The goal is to act before the loss of kidney function becomes significant.<\/p>\n

Diabetes and kidney complications: prevention<\/h2>\n

For those living with diabetes, protecting the kidneys means above all not waiting for them to ask for help<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Checking kidney function and urinary albumin regularly, keeping blood glucose and blood pressure within the targets agreed with the physician, not smoking, following a balanced diet, staying physically active and taking the prescribed treatments correctly are all pieces of the same pathway.<\/p>\n

Because kidney damage can begin in silence, but it is precisely during this phase that there can be an important opportunity to act.<\/p>\n

Knowing the state of health of your kidneys, when you have diabetes, does not mean expecting a complication.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Diabetes is not only about blood glucose. When blood glucose levels remain high over time, the consequences can affect several organs, including the heart, eyes, nerves and kidneys. The kidneys in particular deserve special attention, because kidney damage can develop slowly and, in the early stages, without causing obvious symptoms. Regular check-ups and proper management […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":28215,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1321],"tags":[],"area_medica":[1377,1373],"voce_indice":[],"class_list":["post-31907","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-diabetology","area_medica-diabetology","area_medica-nephrology"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nKidney complications of diabetes - Gruppo NefroCenter<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Kidney complications of diabetes - Gruppo NefroCenter\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Diabetes is not only about blood glucose. 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