how does gfr change over the course of diabetes

by Prof. Ludie Beer 5 min read

Diabetes mellitus causes micro and macro-vascular changes in the body and this includes diabetic nephropathy. It does this through hyperglycemia which leads to hyperfiltration and hence increased glomerular filtration rate 1, 2. Later as the disease progresses the patient might progress into end stage renal disease.

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What is the leading cause of diabetes?

“At a basic level, African Americans tend to score high in the things that predispose individuals , in particular, diabetes, hypertension, obesity and high cholesterol, when you take a look at ...

What is the number of Americans with diabetes?

Prevalence: In 2018, 34.2 million Americans, or 10.5% of the population, had diabetes. Nearly 1.6 million Americans have type 1 diabetes, including about 187,000 children and adolescents; Undiagnosed: Of the 34.2 million adults with diabetes, 26.8 million were diagnosed, and 7.3 million were undiagnosed.

Can you prevent diabetes if you are prediabetic?

You can prevent prediabetes from progressing to type 2 diabetes with healthy lifestyle choices, including the right diet and exercise. It's important not to cut out carbohydrates completely when managing prediabetes, but to eat enough of them spaced out throughout the day to keep your blood sugar levels steady.

How diabetes education helps patients?

How Diabetes Education Helps Patients. While you manage your patients’ care, diabetes educators can empower them to manage their diabetes. They teach, coach and guide patients so they understand their diabetes and how it affects their personal lives, and work with them to set (and meet) behavior change goals to improve their health.

How is GFR affected by diabetes?

Diabetes affects the kidney in stages. At the onset of diabetes, the kidney grows large and the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) becomes disturbed. Most recent basic and clinical research has pointed toward sclerosis and kidney failure.

Can diabetes lower GFR?

This report confirms that reduced GFR occurs among long-standing normoalbuminuric type 1 diabetic patients and is associated with more advanced diabetic glomerular lesions and, probably, with increased risk of progression.

Does hyperglycemia increase GFR?

Glomerular hyperfiltration has been claimed to be a risk factor for the development of diabetic nephropathy. Protein intake and hyperglycemia can both increase GFR in diabetic and normal subjects.

How is GFR changed?

Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is a measure your doctor can take of how well your kidneys are working. You can improve your GFR and your kidney function by looking at your lifestyle, diet, and medications, and making certain changes.

What happens to kidneys with diabetes?

Diabetes can harm the kidneys by causing damage to: Blood vessels inside your kidneys. The filtering units of the kidney are filled with tiny blood vessels. Over time, high sugar levels in the blood can cause these vessels to become narrow and clogged.

Does insulin affect GFR?

Insulin infusion increases GFR in healthy individuals without diabetes, and insulin resistance correlates with the increment in GFR during insulin infusion (32). Thus, individuals with insulin resistance may be at higher risk for developing structural changes in the kidney and decrease in GFR.

Does Type 2 diabetes increase GFR?

An increased glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is a typical feature of type 1 diabetic patients of short duration and it is also observed in type 2 diabetic patients.

Does glucose affect kidney function?

High blood glucose, also called blood sugar, can damage the blood vessels in your kidneys. When the blood vessels are damaged, they don't work as well. Many people with diabetes also develop high blood pressure, which can also damage your kidneys. Learn more about high blood pressure and kidney disease.

Why are kidneys enlarged in diabetes?

With diabetes, the small blood vessels in the body are injured. When the blood vessels in the kidneys are injured, your kidneys cannot clean your blood properly. Your body will retain more water and salt than it should, which can result in weight gain and ankle swelling.

What factors affect GFR?

In this population-based study, we examined factors associated with glomerular filtration rates (GFR) in both genders. The findings of our study showed that obesity, diabetes, blood urea nitrogen, atherogenic factor, hypertension, meat consumption, and smoking were associated with lower GFR.

What can affect GFR results?

Your test results may be affected if you:Have changing kidney function.Are severely malnourished, are underweight, or have muscle-wasting disease.Are severely overweight.Are a bodybuilder.Have a neuromuscular disorder.Are taking certain medicines, including chemotherapies and kidney medicines.Eat a lot of meat.More items...

What causes reduced GFR?

Glomerular filtration rate is a measure of functional renal mass. Reductions in GFR can occur with primary renal disease, decreased renal perfusion, or obstructive renal disease.

How should I prepare for a GFR test?

Your doctor will give you instructions on how to prepare for your GFR test. If you aren‘t sure, it ‘s best to ask your doctor.

Estimated glomerular filtration rate

Because testing GFR can be very complex, it’s often estimated. You may see this called an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) test.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

This cohort study included subjects from two randomized, double-blind, placebo–controlled clinical trials, BENEDICT-B ( 10) and DEMAND ( 11 ), designed to evaluate the effect of ACE inhibitor therapy on onset and progression of nephropathy in hypertensive type 2 diabetic patients with normo- or microalbuminuria.

RESULTS

A total of 4,593 GFRs were measured over a median (range) follow-up of 4.0 (1.75–8.11) years. Baseline measurements were available in 600 subjects, including all 377 patients from DEMAND and 223 of the 281 (78.4%) subjects from BENEDICT-B ( Supplementary Fig. 1 ). The last visit was in July 2008.

CONCLUSIONS

Serial GFR measurements with gold standard technique in a large cohort of Caucasians with type 2 diabetes allowed us to show that glomerular filtration progressively declines in this population, even before the onset of overt renal disease.

Acknowledgments

E.L.P. is indebted to the European Renal Association–European Dialysis Transplant Association for a long-term fellowship that allowed him a postdoctoral position in the Mario Negri Institute. Abbott (Ludwigshafen, Germany) and Chiesi Farmaceutici S.p.A. (Parma, Italy) sponsored the BENEDICT-B and DEMAND trials.

What is impaired GFR?

An impaired GFR was defined as an estimated GFR of less than 60 ml per minute per 1.73 m 2 at two consecutive study visits, usually 1 year apart. This definition differs from the original DCCT definitions of renal impairment (a doubling of the serum creatinine concentration or a serum creatinine level of 2 mg per deciliter [176.8 μmol per liter]) and was modified to reflect contemporary guidelines issued by the American Diabetes Association and the National Kidney Foundation. 10,11 Serum creatinine levels were measured yearly throughout the course of the two studies at the DCCT/EDIC Central Biochemistry Laboratory, University of Minnesota. The overall interassay coefficient of variation was less than 3%, and the overall coefficient of reliability was greater than 0.98.

What is impaired glomerular filtration rate?

An impaired glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is the final common pathway of diabetic kidney disease. Once the GFR is impaired, cardiovascular disease events and progression to end-stage renal disease occur at unacceptably high rates, even with proven medical management. 1-3 This underscores the need for the primary prevention ...

What is DCCT in diabetes?

The DCCT was a multicenter clinical trial, involving patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus, that examined the effects of intensive diabetes therapy aimed at lowering blood glucose to a level as close to the nondiabetic range as safely possible. 4-6 The trial included two cohorts.

How long did diabetes last in the secondary intervention cohort?

Patients in the secondary-intervention cohort had had diabetes for 1 to 15 years and had an albumin excretion rate of 200 mg or less per 24 hours and at least one microaneurysm in either eye (but no more than moderate nonproliferative retinopathy).

Does intensive diabetes therapy affect blood pressure?

However, the effect of intensive diabetes therapy remained significant after separate adjustment for between-group differences in blood pressure, the body-mass index, the use of antihypertensive agents, or the use of inhibitors of the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system.

Is GFR impairment a competing risk?

Because death occurring before impairment of the GFR is a potential competing risk, the reduction in the risk of an impaired GFR with intensive therapy could have been an artifact of an increased risk of death with intensive therapy (before renal impairment).

GFR and kidney disease stages

The National Kidney Foundation lists the following GFR scores and kidney disease stages, and what to expect in each:

Eat well

A balanced diet can go a long way in protecting your kidneys. Some foods put more strain on the kidneys and are best avoided, especially if you have known kidney damage. These include foods high in potassium, phosphorous, and sodium, like:

Keep your heart healthy

Getting regular exercise and keeping your blood pressure in check can help protect your kidneys. High blood pressure can damage the delicate structures in your kidneys.

Watch your blood sugar

Controlling your blood sugar is key to avoiding kidney damage. This is especially true if you have diabetes. People with kidney disease who have diabetes are more likely to have severe complications or a quicker decline in kidney health than those with kidney disease who don’t have diabetes.

Drink enough water

Drinking enough water is good advice for anyone, but it can also help your kidney health. Staying hydrated can improve your kidney’s ability to filter toxins. Kidney experts recommend that you drink enough water to make around 2 liters of urine per day. If you’re wondering how much water that is, it’ll vary from person to person.

Ask your doctor about the medications you take

If your kidneys aren’t working well, or if you’ve been diagnosed with kidney disease, it’s important to talk with your doctor about any medications you’re taking. A number of medications can impair or cause damage to the kidneys.

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