Complications of T1D: Kidney damage (nephropathy)
Kidney damage, or nephropathy, is a serious complication of type 1 diabetes (T1D). By treating it early and managing it well, you can protect your kidneys and prevent further health complications.
What is nephropathy?
Nephropathy is kidney damage caused by your blood glucose levels being high too often or for too long. This can affect the blood vessels in your kidneys, leading to kidney disease.
In the early stages, you might not notice any symptoms. But if left untreated, this damage can progress to kidney failure, which means you’ll need dialysis treatments to clean your blood.
What causes nephropathy in people with diabetes?
Your kidneys usually work as a filter to get rid of waste products and clean the blood. But high blood glucose levels and high blood pressure can damage the blood vessels and filters in your kidneys. When these parts of your kidneys are damaged, protein can leak into your urine, which tells you there’s a problem.
Over time, this damage can stop your kidneys from working properly. It can also put extra strain on other organs, like your heart.
What are the symptoms to look for?
You usually wouldn’t see physical symptoms of kidney damage until the condition is more advanced, but watch out for:
- tiredness
- swollen ankles, feet or hands
- shortness of breath
- feeling sick
- blood in your urine
- foamy urine.
What checks can you have done?
You should have your kidneys checked regularly so you can catch any issues early. You can get a blood or urine test.
Urine test
A urine test measures how much protein (or microalbumin) your kidneys are passing into your urine. This can be done with a spot sample at your GP or diabetes clinic.
Blood test
A blood test checks the level of creatinine in your blood. This should be done at least once a year. High creatinine levels may indicate your kidneys aren’t functioning well and require further investigation.
How is nephropathy treated?
If kidney damage is detected early, there are treatments that can stop and even reverse the damage. Effective treatments include:
- blood pressure medication – helps control blood pressure and reduce further kidney damage
- diuretics – help your body get rid of excess fluid
- lifestyle changes – such as managing blood glucose levels, avoiding smoking, staying physically active, eating healthily, and reducing salt intake.
How can you reduce your risk of nephropathy?
You can reduce your risk of kidney damage by:
- keeping your blood glucose levels within your target range as best you can
- managing your blood pressure
- avoiding smoking
- staying physically active
- eating a healthy diet with reduced salt intake.
Where to go for more support
If you notice any symptoms of kidney damage, speak to your GP or your healthcare team. They can help you manage your condition and prevent further damage.
Kidney disease research
JDRF funds more than 50 active research projects across Australia to try to find better ways to prevent and treat T1D, including associated kidney disease. Scientists have identified specific genes that can predict the development of diabetes-related kidney disease and found biological markers that indicate early signs of kidney damage. This research is crucial for developing new treatments and improving early diagnosis.
And JDRF has funded an Australian islet transplantation research project that has the potential to revert T1D, which could prevent long-term health complications like kidney disease.
Read about more T1D complications and how to prevent, recognise and treat them: