Kidney disease care
Kidney disease care
Overview
If you have a form of kidney disease called nephropathy, our team of nephrologists (kidney specialists) is here to create a personalized treatment plan based on your unique circumstances, monitor your kidney function and help you improve your quality of life.
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Patient-centered care
Evidence-based treatments
Long-term support
What is nephropathy?
Nephropathy is the deterioration of the kidneys. There are five stages of nephropathy. The fifth stage is end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Progression from one stage to the next can take many years, with an average of 23 years required to reach stage five.
What causes nephropathy?
Both type 1 and type 2 diabetes can lead to diabetic nephropathy, although type 1 diabetes is more likely to lead to ESRD.
Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a complication of diabetes that is believed to contribute most directly to diabetic nephropathy. Hypertension is believed to be both the cause of diabetic nephropathy and the result of damage created by the disease. As kidney disease progresses, physical changes in the kidneys often lead to increased blood pressure.
Uncontrolled hypertension can make the progression toward stage five diabetic nephropathy occur more rapidly.
Nephropathy treatment
The onset and progression of diabetic nephropathy can be slowed by intensive management of diabetes and its symptoms, including taking medications to lower blood pressure.
Specific treatment for diabetic nephropathy is determined by your physician based on:
- Your age, overall health and medical history
- The extent of the disease
- Your tolerance for specific medications, procedures or therapies
- Expectations for the course of the disease
- Your preferences
Treatment may include any or a combination of the following:
- Proper diet
- Exercise
- Strict monitoring and controlling of blood glucose levels, often with medication and insulin injections
- Medication to lower blood pressure
If your kidney disease progresses to end-stage renal disease, treatment often involves dialysis to cleanse the blood. In some cases, a kidney transplant may be recommended.
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