Life Expectancy for Stage 3 Chronic Kidney Disease in Type 1 Diabetes

Chronic kidney disease is one of the common chronic complications of Diabetes. Chronic kidney disease doesn’t cause evident symptoms in the starting two stages so that the diagnosis is not easy unless screening tests can be performed. In people with Diabetes, the onset of stage 3 chronic kidney disease is manifested as higher albumin in urine, or microalbuminuria. At this stage, people are frequently warned to manage the disease carefully, since poor controlling of the disease may deterioration the progression into next stage.

The life expectancy for type 1 Diabetics at stage 3 chronic kidney disease largely depend on how well the kidney damage is treated and Diabetes is controlled, and if patients take special cares in daily life. Diabetes, in prolonging course, can damage filtrating units called as glomerulus within the kidneys. Usually, the onset of kidney disease in Diabetes is 5 years after the diagnosis of Diabetes; poor management of Diabetes is associated with an earlier onset of diabetic kidney disease. Diabetes impairs the glomerulus filtration cells, and in early disease course this is reflected as an elevated amount of albumin in urine.

In healthy individuals, the amount of albumin in urine is no more than 0.15g/24h, and in urinalysis urine protein is negative. Microalbuminuria, referring to a mild increase of albumin in urine, is early warning sign of diabetic kidney disease. According to clinical trials, insulin intensive treatment and tight blood pressure management may reduce and control the loss of albumin in urine and slow progression of diabetic kidney disease. If this is poorly controlled, however, kidney damage will be worsened thus patients will experience more proteins in urine. According to American Joslin clinical reports, average history of Diabetes till occurrence of proteinuria is 17 years, and once 24 hour urine protein exceeds 0.5g, glomerular filtration rate (GFR) may irreversibly decline, although treatments to slow down the progression are available; after occurrence of proteinuria, approximately 75% Diabetics develop into end-stage kidney failure within 15 years.

We may grasp an idea what the term “chronic” suggests. Stage 3 chronic kidney disease is controllable and renal deterioration progression can be slowed down. The concerned issue is that, once kidneys are damaged to a certain extent, the progression is hard to be blocked completely. The fibrosis within kidneys is the underlying issue; to avoid onset of an advanced stage, traditional Chinese medicine may hold a promise since the herbs accelerate blood circulation, ease renal ischemia, eliminate stasis and supplement sufficient nutrients for improving the damaged kidney tissues. Management of Diabetes, controlling blood pressure, low sodium diet and balancing protein intake are the recommendations to protect kidneys and treat diabetic kidney disease.