Diabetic nephropathy is one of the more common complications of diabetes. What are the specific causes of diabetic nephropathy?

1. Genetic factors

Diabetic nephropathy may also occur in some patients with good long-term blood sugar control. Its occurrence also shows a family aggregation phenomenon. Among some diabetic patients with a family history of hypertension, the incidence of diabetic nephropathy is also significantly higher than that of patients without a family history of hypertension.

2. Hypertension

Hypertension or elevated blood pressure during the course of the disease to the microalbuminuria stage can accelerate the progression of diabetic nephropathy and the deterioration of renal function, and aggravate the risk of albuminuria in the urine. discharge.

3. Hyperglycemia

Poor blood sugar control can accelerate the development of diabetic nephropathy, while good blood sugar control can significantly delay its development. Hyperglycemia and increased production of glycation end products cause mesangial cell proliferation, increased extracellular matrix, mesangial expansion, and glomerular basement membrane thickening.

4. Abnormal renal hemodynamics

Plays a key role in the occurrence of diabetic nephropathy and may even be the initiating factor.

Many diabetic patients do not know the symptoms of diabetic nephropathy very well, so their condition continues to progress and is ultimately difficult to control. Therefore, diabetic patients should recognize the main symptoms of diabetic nephropathy in order to nip it in the bud.

1. Proteinuria: The only early manifestation of clinical diabetic nephropathy is proteinuria, which gradually develops from intermittent to persistent.

2. Edema: There is generally no edema in the early stage of clinical diabetic nephropathy. A few patients may have mild edema before the plasma protein is reduced. If there is a large amount of proteinuria, the plasma protein is low, and the edema is aggravated, it is mostly because the disease has progressed to Late manifestations.

3. Hypertension: Type 2 diabetes patients are more likely to have high blood pressure, but the proportion of high blood pressure will also increase if proteinuria occurs. Patients with nephrotic syndrome will also have high blood pressure.

4. Renal failure: The progression rate of diabetic nephropathy is very different. Some patients have very little protein in their urine, but they can quickly develop nephrotic syndrome, and their kidney function gradually deteriorates, eventually leading to uremia.

5. Anemia Patients with obvious azotemia may have mild anemia.

6. When diabetic nephropathy is severe, almost 100% of cases are complicated by retinopathy. However, people with severe retinopathy may not necessarily have obvious kidney disease. When diabetic nephropathy progresses, retinopathy often worsens at an accelerated pace.

1. Eat a balanced diet, appropriately limit protein intake, but ensure adequate energy intake to prevent malnutrition.

2. Plan meals and allocate energy and protein reasonably.

3. Individualized meal plans and nutrition education.

4. Food selection