One in three people living with diabetes have diabetic nephropathy, also called diabetic kidney disease. The condition damages blood vessels in your kidneys, keeping them from filtering wastes, toxins, and excess fluid from your body. This can lead to your body keeping more water and salt than it should, resulting in weight gain or ankle swelling, or waste building up in your blood.
The relationship between diabetes and kidney disease is why it’s important to get in for regular screenings. A simple blood and urine test can identify whether you have diabetic kidney disease. Regular testing is the best way to identify and treat it early on to help prevent additional health problems. It is recommended that people with diabetes take a type of medicine, called an ACE inhibitor, to help prevent kidney disease.
You can keep your kidneys healthy by:
- Checking your blood pressure regularly
- Staying in your target cholesterol range
- Eating low sodium foods and more fruits and vegetables
- Staying physically active
- Taking your medications as directed
- Keeping your blood sugar in control