Diabetic Kidney Disease: Dialysis Research and More
More than 10% of the world’s population or over 800 million people are affected by diabetic kidney disease. Although treatment and management are advancing, there is more to be done to better patients’ lives. This is where dialysis research comes in and where experts are studying this disease further to hopefully develop a treatment for it soon.
What is diabetic kidney disease?
Also known as diabetic nephropathy, diabetic kidney disease is one of the most common complications of type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus. When this happens, the kidneys lose their ability to remove and excrete waste and fluid from the body. This usually leads to kidney failure and eventually death in most patients.
Today, dialysis and kidney transplant are the only two options for treating diabetic kidney disease and kidney failure, and prevention is still the most effective way for diabetic patients to live longer without experiencing this complication.
Unfortunately, diabetic kidney disease can become inevitable even to the most health-conscious individuals because diabetes itself already causes damage to the kidneys. Therefore, health experts have been doing extensive dialysis research to find better preventative and treatment options for diabetic kidney disease.
What treatments are available for diabetic kidney disease?
There are few options for treating diabetic kidney disease. The main focus is managing harsh symptoms. Blood sugar and blood pressure control are two of the most common interventions for this condition.
Living a healthy lifestyle and taking maintenance medications for blood sugar and pressure are top recommendations for helping to prevent diabetic kidney disease.
But for patients who have a hard time managing their condition during its early stages, treatment will eventually lead to dialysis. In fact, a study by the National Kidney Foundation revealed that 554,038 Americans received dialysis in 2018 alone, and those who do only have a five-year survival rate of less than 50% after a year of treatment.
Why is dialysis research important?
Although there have been many advancements in the field of medicine throughout the years, chronic kidney conditions are still some of the less understood areas, which is why it’s not surprising that many patients still die from these complications.
Because dialysis is still the most effective way to address diabetic kidney disease, dialysis research plays a crucial role in helping these patients get the most out of their dialysis treatments and hopefully, live long, happy, and healthy lives.
These patients have suffered long enough from their condition, so they deserve a chance at getting back to their health by discovering new ways to address their problems.
Dialysis research will continue to be a very important aspect of kidney treatments and health experts will always work hard to understand the condition more to be able to offer better treatment options to patients undergoing dialysis.
Learn more about recent studies and research labs by clicking here to visit NICR.com.
The National Institute of Clinical Research is an SMO/CRO with offices and labs in the following cities and states: New Jersey, North Carolina, Austin, San Diego, San Francisco, Bakersfield 93309, Fountain Valley 92708, Garden Grove 92840, Hacienda Heights 91745, Huntington Beach 92648, Las Vegas 89106, Long Beach 90806, Los Angeles 90048, Ontario 91762, Rosemead 91770, San Antonio 78207, Santa Ana 92704, Upland 91786, and Westminster 92683.
