Diabetic nephropathy
Diabetic nephropathy Causes
It is generally a long-term complication of a chronic diabetes which also resulted from angiopathy on the kidney vessels. High blood sugar levels can be associated to be an indirect cause of this disease.
Diabetic nephropathy Definition
Diabetic nephropathy or nephropatia diabetica is also called Kimmelstiel-Wilson syndrome. Another term is intercapillary glomerulonephritis. It is a kidney disease, which is progressive in nature and is caused by angiopathy of the capillaries in kidney glomeruli. It occurs because of diabetes mellitus that has been in the patient for a long period of time already.
Diabetic nephropathy Diagnosis
As a long-term complication of the Diabetes mellitus, diagnosis of this disease ofetn follows the same diagnostic tests, such as laboratory exams of urine samples.
Diabetic nephropathy Symptoms and Signs
Symptoms of this disease includes kidney failures which is provoked by glomerulosclerosis. Patients will have an increase in blood pressure and increase in the retention of fluid retention in the body . Symptoms often develop in late stages of the disease. Other symptoms arise such as oedema, swelling around the eyes in the mornings. Later, patients will experience general body swelling may result in the legs, foamy appearance of the urine, weight gain usually from fluid accumulation, poor appetite. Nausea and vomiting may also arise accompanied with a feeling of being generally ill feeling,fatigue, frequent headache and hiccups, and itching all over the body.
Diabetic nephropathy Treatment
The main treatment, especially once proteinuria occurs, are drugs called ACE inhibitors.Blood sugar levels are to be monitored closely and controlled. Medications given by Physicians to manage the disease include insulin injections and oral hypoglycemic agents. The diet may also be modified to help control glucose levels. Lipid levels are also monitored and controlled, patients are required to have a healthy weight and maintain it, and also engage in regular exercises. Patients should also avoid taking contrast agents which have iodine contents, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) which are commonly used like ibuprofen, or Celebrex which are COX-2 inhibitors. Appropriate antibiotics are used to treat infections and dialysis may also be necessary especially on patients suffering the end-stage renal disease. A kidney transplantation must also be considered for this stage.
Drugs used for treatment of Diabetic nephropathy
Avapro
Captopril
Cozaar