You are reading this on World Kidney Day and the doctors are telling you to mind your blood sugar. Puzzling? Wait, diabetes and hypertension are two of the most common causes of renal disease in Indians.
No wonder then that the International Society of Nephrology (ISN) and the International Federation of Kidney Foundations has taken on the diabetes monster, only a year after they took on hypertension (last year's theme). This year's theme is ‘Protect your Kidneys, Control Diabetes.'
In the online resources available on World Kidney Day (worldkidneyday.org) Paul Zimmet and Robert Atkins observe that in 2003, the ISN and the International Diabetes Federation launched a booklet called “Diabetes and Kidney Disease: Time to act” to highlight the global pandemic of type 2 diabetes and diabetic kidney disease. “Seven years later, the same message has become even more urgent,” the authors write.
“With the incidence of diabetes and hypertension on the rise, we are going to see the group of people with kidney disease swell,” says Sunil Shroff, founder, MOHAN Foundation. He also calls for lifestyle alterations, not only to stem the tide of the epidemic, but also to reverse it.
Zimmet and Atkins also state that primary prevention of Type 2 diabetes will require massive lifestyle changes in the developing and developed world supported by strong governmental commitment to promote lifestyle and societal change.
Georgi Abraham, nephrologist, and founder trustee of Tanker Foundation, says the idea is to tackle the issue at the very beginning. “Once the glomerular capillaries in the kidney start thickening there is not much we can do. The idea it to catch the disease early and stop its progression,” he says. The advice is also to check albumin levels in the urine on an annual basis, especially for diabetics. The simple dipstick, he says, only costs Rs.10.
V. Mohan, chairman, Dr. Mohan's Diabetes Specialities Centre, says they start the awareness on renal complications as soon as tests show a patient is diabetic. “Immediately we start checking for albumin in the urine and test the eyes for retinopathy. In Type 2 diabetes, we are not sure about actual duration of the disease. Many people can miss diagnosis for a long time.”
Dr. Mohan recounts the case of a patient, a surgeon himself, who came for a consultation a week after he found he was diabetic. When the tests were run, they found he had already lapsed into kidney disease, had vision in only one eye and foot complications.
The importance of this year's theme cannot be underestimated, says Rajan Ravichandran, director, MIOT Institute of Nephrology.
“If you go to any dialysis unit, you will find that 30-40 per cent of the patients are diabetic.”
As diabetes and HT blows up, so will kidney disease, he warns. Obesity is another issue that needs attention. Indians are prone to truncal obesity or paunches, he informs.
The waist-hip ratio is a critical indication of vessel damage. Measure yourself at the belly button and divide that figure by the measure of the widest point at the hip. The result should be less than 0.7 in women and 0.9 in men.
Keywords: World Kidney Day, diabetes, Kidney, Ramya Kannan, MIOT Institute of Nephrology
Daily Yoga practice will be ideal for all diabetic patients. I say it from my experience. It will also reduce blood pressure, and you will feel better. I am sure. It will be hard in the beginning, after two or three months you will have better flexibility.
What are the main causes of Diabetes? An article should be phublished on the topics for the interest of layman so that we people can follow the instruction.
This information turned out to be a great help for me. My father is diabetic and recently his level of sugar shot up to 349. We didn't take it seriously as this was not the first time that sugar level rose to such level and so we thought he will be able to control it. But I was not aware of the related problems. So now on I will take extra care. Thank you.
My relative is a diabetic patient. He is 56 yrs old. His creatinine is 11.3. He is not under dialysis and does not have any physical problem. Till now the doc hasn't advised him for dialysis. Pl.suggest his diet. What is to be avoided and what is to be taken?
Excellent write-up on such a deadly disease. I will be happy if this article gets published in Tamil.
The root cause of this fatal disease is dietary habit and life style.
I have a diabetic feet and pain in the footpad of my left feet (a numb feeling). I need a complete guidance. I am on insulin (Human Actraped 15 unit x 2 times before food.)
Diabetes is a silent killer.It is due to our present day lifestyle. We should be very cautious and get the albumin of the urine checked annually.
Any irregularity in metbolism owing to malfunctioning of Endocrine glands including pancreas, is a cosequence of hypersensivity of a person. There is a need to propagate for a cool life style by enhancing one's physical, mental capabilities and food habits. Treatment is only a damage control method.
Diabetes is going to cost this nation dear.The best thing to control this is awareness , right food and walks . Government should take special initiative to encourage people to walk and cycle by having dedicated and safe lanes for it so that people can exercise in their daily life.
It should also open a dedicated multi disciplinary research centre which will find out the reason for such epidemic in India.
As the disease progresses, the diabetic develops many complications. They are:
1. Neuropathy - Affliction of Nerves
2. Retinopathy - The diminishing vision
3. Nephropathy - The progressive Kidney damage
4. Cardiopathy - The weakening heart and its portals, the blood vessels
5. Myopathy - The enfeebled muscles One has to learn to live with them amicably, yet keeping them in check.
The waist-hip ratio explained in the above cited World Diabetis Day statement may be explained by means of a model worksheet.
It's really very good and very informative. Keep it up.
This emphasis on proper care of diabetes is effective especially when the case of a surgeon who probably ignored this silent killer even while he would have advised several of patients about proper diabetic care. This is a wake-up call for all people above 40 years.
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