What can be done to delay deterioration of Diabetic Nephropathy?

What can be done to delay deterioration of Diabetic Nephropathy?Early prevention and treatment is the best choice. Some general prevention and treatment principles to delay deterioration of Diabetic Nephropathy mainly include:

Tight control of blood glucose. Before clinical stage of Diabetic Nephropathy, tight management of Diabetes to maintain normal blood sugar levels help to lower elevated glomerular filtration rate (GFR), improve mircroalbuminuria and prevent or delay the occurrence of Diabetic Nephropathy. According to DCCT research, intensive insulin treatment can reduce risks of Diabetic Nephropathy by 35% to 55% for people with Type 1 Diabetes. However, blood sugar control is less helpful for delaying deterioration of the illness condition when Diabetic Nephropathy develops into clinical stage and causes evident proteinuria.

Management of blood pressure. High blood pressure can promote the deterioration into kidney failure, while effective BP management helps to slow down GFR decline and reduce urine protein output. Anti-hypertensive medicines are needed when blood pressure is over 130/80mm Hg. As is reported, when blood pressure is lowered from 160/95mmHg to 135/85mmHg, urine protein output is obviously reduced and GFR decline speed is lowered from 1ml/min per month to 0.35ml/min per month. In addition, anti-hypertension treatment is also beneficial for relieving Diabetic Retinopathy.

Restrict protein intake. Properly restricting dietary protein intake (0.8g/kg.d) helps to reduce glomerular filtration pressure and reduce proteinuria; on the contrary, eating high protein diet can aggravate scarring on glomerular filters. Patients who already develop renal insufficiency should more carefully restrict protein consumption.

If the treatment is earlier, then the effects can be better for people with Diabetic Nephropathy. A combination of western medicine treatment and Chinese medicine is essential in treating Diabetic Nephropathy, both from treating the underlying kidney damage and controlling risk factors to prevent the deterioration and improve kidney health.