Peritoneal Dialysis Is a Better Choice for Patients with Diabetic Nephropathy

According to some researches, in the developed countries, Diabetic Nephropathy is the primary cause of End Stage Renal Failure. Once their kidneys cease to perform the function in filtrating out the wastes products and excess water from the body as urine, at that time, many patients use dialysis to perform the functions of kidneys artificially. There are two types of dialysis (haemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis). Generally speaking, doctors demand patients with Diabetic Nephropathy to undergo peritoneal dialysis. The following article will give you a clear answer to the question why peritoneal dialysis is a better choice for patients with Diabetic Nephropathy.

1. Peritoneal dialysis is a slowly progressive therapy, which is totally different from the rapid hyperfiltration in a short time. Therefore, usually peritoneal dialysis does not cause insufficient blood volume, hypotension. As many patients with Diabetic Nephropathy are accompanied with serious cardiovascular diseases, they are more suitable for peritoneal dialysis.

2. Peritoneal dialysis has a better function in controlling blood pressure. It can remove some medium –molecular substance that can cause high blood pressure. Therefore, the incidence of Hypertension among patients on peritoneal dialysis is lower than those on hemodialysis.

3. Peritoneal dialysis does not need using heparin to preventing blood solidification in the dialysis machine. This is very important for the prevention of fundus hemorrhage for patients with Diabetic Nephropathy.

4. Usually, the patients with Diabetic Nephropathy have autonomic neuropathy. If adopting heamodialysis, the patients are very likely to have hypotension, but its incidence caused by peritoneal dialysis is lower.

5. In peritoneal dialysis, the patients can get insulin from dialysate, which is more convenient and can reduce patients’ sufferings than subcutaneous injection of insulin. Moreover, it can also decline the incidence of atherosclerosis.


Of course, everything has two coins. Peritoneal dialysis also can cause some complications such as obesity, peritonitis and so on. However, its advantages overweigh its disadvantages for patients with Diabetic Nephropathy. Therefore, peritoneal dialysis should be their primary choice.