SWEET SAVIOUR

A recent study shows that increasing the availability of one of the newer classes of diabetes medications could prevent many people with type 2 diabetes from developing end-stage kidney disease.

Almost 7000 Australians could be saved from end-stage kidney disease over the next 20 years if we focused on widespread delivery of newer diabetes medications to address this costly complication, according to Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute research.

A new study modelled the impacts of different interventions on the future incidence of end-stage kidney disease, one of the most expensive and burdensome complications of diabetes.

More than a third of all people with type 2 diabetes have chronic kidney disease, which can eventually lead to end-stage kidney disease (kidney failure), a condition that requires kidney dialysis or transplantation for survival.

Type 2 diabetes affects the kidneys in several ways: first, the initial change on the path to type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance, is itself associated with chronic kidney disease. In turn, insulin resistance, or the metabolic syndrome, is also strongly linked to high blood pressure and altered cholesterol levels, which can also damage the kidneys. Finally, the high blood sugar that is characteristic of type 2 diabetes can itself damage the kidneys.

Unfortunately, many people with type 2 diabetes don’t even know they have, or are at risk for, chronic kidney disease as there are no overt symptoms early in the disease process. This means it can often be missed. This is further compounded when there are barriers to accessing healthcare, specifically blood tests for the disease.

Ultimately, these factors mean that people with type 2 diabetes are 10 times more likely to develop end-stage kidney disease than those without diabetes. This also means that detection, prevention, and treatment of chronic kidney disease is very important for people with diabetes.