Causes and Symptoms of Diabetic Nephropathy

Diabetic Nephropathy is a serious complication of Diabetes. Usually, many patients with a long history of Diabetes have renal damage in varying degrees. In the United States, Diabetes is the leading cause of chronic kidney disease and kidney disease.

In fact, not all patients with Diabetes will develop Diabetic Nephropathy. Some researches show that the patients who do not control their blood sugar effectively are susceptible to renal damage. Each of our kidneys are composed of about 1 million nephrons that help remove extra water out of body and keep electrolyte balance in our body. High blood sugar level can damage the tiny vessels in the nephrons by thickening scarring them thus causing kidney damage over time. As a result, the nephrons will lose their normal filtrating function. Without timely proper treatment, the kidney damage will lead to Renal Failure gradually.

In the early stage of Diabetic Nephropathy, the patients may not have any symptom. That is the reason why most patients can not get timely treatment. As the disease progression, it will cause a series of symptoms. Diabetic Nephropathy is divided into five stages. The patients have different symptoms in the five stages.

1. Proteinuria

If the patients with Diabetic Nephropathy, it proves that their disease has developed into the fourth stage. In the stage 2 and 3, the patients often have intermittent or persistent microdose albumin in urine. After the disease develops into the fourth stage, the urine protein will increase gradually and even have amount urine protein in 3~5 years.

2. Edema

With the appearing of proteinuria, edema will occur. When the protein loss in urine causes hypoproteinemia, the patients usually have serious edema and even have hydrothorax and ascites.

3. High blood pressure

High blood pressure is an early symptom of Diabetic Nephropathy. In the stage 2 or 3 of Diabetic Nephropathy, the patients may have high blood pressure. In the early stage, the patients usually have intermittent high blood pressure and gradually it will develop into persistent high blood pressure. High blood pressure can increase the secretion of urine protein, which is an risk in aggravating kidney damage.

4. Kidney damage

Before stage 4 of Diabetic Nephropathy, the renal function usually declines very slowly. However, after the appearance of persistent proteinuria, especially amount urinary protein, kidney damage progresses very fast and have renal insufficiency gradually.


Therefore, the patients with Diabetes should do renal test, urine test and blood test regularly so as to find the disease and receive treatment in the first time.