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Diabetic nephropathy: Causes, symptoms & treatment

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Twinhealth
Diabetic nephropathy: Causes, symptoms & treatment

Diabetic nephropathy is also known as diabetic kidney disease. It is a kidney-related condition as a result of diabetes mellitus. Diabetes can damage the delicate filtering system of collecting waste from the blood inside the kidneys. Severe damage leads to kidney failure or other end-stage kidney conditions. One-fourth of diabetes patients are affected by diabetic nephropathy. Diabetic nephropathy if left untreated can lead to kidney failure and kidney failure is a serious complication. The only possible treatment for it is dialysis or a kidney transplant. 40% of kidney failure cases are a result of diabetic nephropathy. Diabetic nephropathy is a slowly progressing disease.

The first stage has very mild symptoms and the fifth stage has very serious symptoms and is a serious case of kidney failure.

Glomerular filtration rate (GFR): This is used to determine the stage of the kidney condition. This is vital as the treatment plan varies according to the stage one is diagnosed with. The important function of the kidney is to filter the blood. GFR is a test to check the functioning of the kidney, it gives the value of how much blood passes through the filters in the kidney. 

Stage 1: Mildest symptoms. There is a little bit of damage to the kidneys but the functioning of the kidney is normal. It is characterized by a GFR equal to or above 90.

Stage 2: There is damage to the kidney leading to some loss of functions. It is characterized by a GFR value between 60 to 89.

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