It’s important to know whether diabetes and high blood pressure can cause long-term kidney disease.
There are two main jobs that the kidneys do: They filter extra fluid and waste out of the blood, and they do both of these jobs very well when they work well. People who have a lot of fluid and waste in their bodies can then have heart disease and stroke. A lot of different health problems can cause kidney disease. Diabetes and high blood pressure, or hypertension, are two of the most common.
High blood sugar levels and high blood pressure can damage blood vessels all over the body, including the ones in the kidneys. This can cause them to break down. These blood vessels can then become less efficient at filtering blood, and they can’t get oxygen and nutrients to kidney tissue because they can’t get there.
Diabetics are the main cause of CKD: There is a chance that one in three people who have diabetes also have kidney disease, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says (CDC). People with diabetes often have high levels of sugar (glucose) in their blood, which can cause damage to many parts of the body over time, including the kidneys. This is called long-term diabetes.
This is why it’s important to know your risk and see your doctor often to be checked for diabetes, high blood pressure, and kidney disease (CKD). Treating one condition, well can help you better deal with the rest.
If you have CKD, the best way to slow down or stop kidney damage is to reach your blood sugar and blood pressure goals, which you should do.
There are many ways to manage and treat diabetes, but the most important goal is to lower blood sugar levels. This can help prevent or slow kidney damage.
It is important to know how high blood pressure can hurt your kidneys. High blood pressure, which is the second most common cause of CKD, is an increase in the force of blood as it moves through your body. Force over time can damage the small vessels in the nephrons, just like it can damage blood vessels all over the body. This is why it’s important to get your kidneys checked.
Treating high blood pressure is one of the main ways to keep or slow down kidney damage. In fact, some of the most common drugs used to lower blood pressure are used to treat CKD.
Other things can cause kidney damage.
The most common causes of kidney damage that leads to CKD are diabetes and high blood pressure.
How can you avoid CKD?
The best way to avoid kidney disease is to keep your diabetes and high blood pressure in check. Lifestyle changes, like not smoking and staying at a healthy weight, can also be good for your health. Talk to your doctor about how often you should be checked for CKD. Early detection and treatment is important in preventing CKD from getting worse. Our Kidney Specialist tells you to try to control your diabetes and high blood pressure, so that you don’t do more damage to your body.
Healthy habits that help you manage diabetes and high blood pressure, like eating a well-balanced diet and exercising, can also help keep your kidneys healthy and stop CKD from getting worse.
Once kidney function is lost, it can’t be brought back. Even so, there are ways you can protect yourself and slow the progress of CKD.