Controlling Blood Sugar Lowers Kidney Disease Risk

Strict regulation of blood sugar levels in type II diabetic patients can bring down the risk of kidney disease or nephropathydefine that diabetic patients are exposed to by as much as 21%, as per a report tabled during the recent annual meeting of the American Diabetes Association (ADA) Friday.

The study by the ADA was conducted by comparing the blood sugar levels of two groups of diabetic patients. The two groups were administered separate glucose control levels. While one of them was given standard glucose control, the other was given intensive glucose control.

At the beginning of the study, the average count of hemoglobin A1c, which is the standard measure of blood sugar, was 7.5%. For the intensive control group, the objective set was to bring the A1c count down at least to 6.5%. The group was able to achieve this objective over a five-year period. For the group that was given standard glucose control, the A1c count came down nominally, to 7.3%.

The study proved that diabetics could, with rigid regulation of their blood sugar count, record a drop of an impressive 21% in the case of kidney disease risk. Additionally, they were also able to record a good 10% decrease in cardiovascular problems as well.

The issue of rigid regulation of blood sugar has its own negative aspects as well. Primary among them is the possibility of the patient ending up with severely low proportions of blood sugar, which can also prove fatal.

In fact, the new study by the ADA came about after claims by researchers who submitted that those who were under high doses of blood sugar-lowering medicines were at an increased death risk. This claim of the researchers, christened the ACCORD trial, caused quite a flutter among doctors, as it was a trustworthy source funded by several US government agencies.

However, the findings of the ADA have set these fears at rest. In the recent study, the incidence of severe blood sugar levels stood at a marginal 2.7% for subjects from the intensive glucose control group; in the standard control group this number was even lower, standing at a mere 1.5%.

Speaking about the findings to Reuters Health, Dr. Anushka Patel of The George Institute for International Health in Sydney, Australia, said, “The average difference in hemoglobin A1c during follow-up was 0.7%. However, the overall incidence (of severe drop in blood sugar) was really quite low and there was no evidence of any chronic event.”

On a global scale, 250 million people are living with diabetes currently and the count is steadily growing. The figure is slated to escalate to 380 million by 2025. With growing numbers of people testing diabetic, it is of utmost importance to devise ways and means to minimize and contain the harmful effects of this disease.

The study is of great significance given the fact that kidney failure is one of the leading causes of death in diabetic people. With escalating blood sugar levels, the pressure on the kidneys to perform its filtering function progressively increases, which ultimately causes renal failure and death. The latest findings by Dr. Patel, therefore, augurs well for diabetics around the world.