How to Prevent Renal Failure in Patients with Diabetes

Are there risks for patients with Diabetes getting Renal Failure?
The answer is yes. Researches have shown that approximately one third of patients with Diabetes may get Chronic Kidney Failure. The risk is higher among patients aged more than 60 or those with high blood pressure, in addition, having a family member who has Chronic Kidney Disease already may increase the risk.
Why does Renal Failure occur on patients with Diabetes?
Every person has two kidneys and each kidney contains about one million nephrons, the function of which is to filtrate toxic and waste. Each nephron has a glomerulus which contains a cluster of small blood vessels. However, Diabetes can harm kidneys by causing damage to blood vessels for high sugar levels in blood can make these vessels become narrow and even blocked, so there are not adequate blood for the operation of kidneys. Gradually, kidneys lost their function, for which symptoms of kidney disease, such as hematuria, proteinuria, anemia, fatigue and so on may occur. Without effective treatments, the progress of Renal Failure may begin.
How to Prevent Diabetes develops into Renal Failure?
To patients with Diabetes whose kidneys have already been damaged, a series of measures should be taken in order to prevent Renal Failure.
Controlling blood sugar
Actually, the most useful way to reduce damage on kidneys is to control blood sugar level. It is proposed that a test called hemoglobin A1C should be done every three to six months to monitor the average blood sugar level. The normal value for most people is less than 7%. If needed, insulin or hypoglycemic pills should be taken to lower blood sugar level. Furthermore, diet with less sugar and proper exercise are also necessary.
Keeping blood pressure steady
It is known that for diabetic patients with kidney disease, high blood pressure may increase the risk of getting Renal Failure. Therefore, lowering blood pressure is necessary to prevent the occurrence of Renal Failure. In fact, there are many medicines which can control blood pressure such as ACE (angiotensin converting enzyme) and ARB(angiotensin receptor blocker), both of which can benefit diabetic patients even though they don't have high blood pressure because these medicines help to reduce the chance of heart disease. Do remember the normal blood pressure level for Diabetes patients with kidney damage should be less than 130/80.
Limiting protein intake
Enough protein is good for diabetic patients with kidney disease. However, overmuch protein may be dangerous. It is shown that less protein can slow the progress of Renal Failure. Go to a dietitian who is specialized in kidney disease.
Besides the above, limiting the amount of salt in your diet to help control high blood pressure and reduce body swelling.