The relationship between diabetes and kidney disease First, to set the record straight, if you have diabetes you will not necessarily develop kidney disease. The fact that you are reading this handout already puts you ahead of the curve, because there are steps that you can take to safeguard against chronic kidney disease (CKD). Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney disease. The other leading causes of CKD are: • Hypertension (high blood pressure) • Glomerulonephritis • Cystic diseases • Urologic disease. In diabetics, the body has a hard time producing or properly using insulin. Without insulin, glucose (sugar) remains [...]

People with diabetes have a greater risk of developing serious problems with their kidneys. In fact, diabetes is one of the leading causes of chronic kidney disease (also called CKD). To better understand why diabetes is a top cause of CKD, it is important to know more about diabetes and how it can damage your kidneys. Diabetes is a disease that affects a person’s sugar levels (also called blood glucose levels). There are two main types of diabetes. Type 1 diabetes occurs when the pancreas (an organ in the body behind the stomach) does not make insulin any longer. Type 2 [...]