Chronic Kidney Disease: A Silent, Yet Lethal Complication of Diabetes
by Karen A. Thomas, MD
Diabetes affects the tiny blood vessels in the kidneys called glomeruli, initiating the development of chronic kidney disease. This quiet process decreases the filtering efficiency of the bean-shaped organs and may eventually result in kidney failure and dialysis.
Chronic kidney disease, or CKD, is a silent killer and is most commonly caused by diabetes. Currently, an astounding twenty million people in the United States suffer from CKD and while there is no known cure, early detection and treatment slows the progression to kidney failure. The National Kidney Foundation recommends that all diabetics undergo simple testing to screen for CKD – but your doctor may not know about this lifesaving protocol.
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As attentions turn to revving up exercise routines and outdoor activities, there is one area of the body that we must not overlook. A health check-up for your feet is important anytime, but because diabetes has become increasingly prevalent in our nation, doctors are finding a concomitant increasing rise in the number of diabetic foot ulcers. There are two things that almost everyone with diabetes and a foot ulcer will unanimously acknowledge; it is extremely difficult and time-consuming to heal, and they wish someone else other than they had it.