Symptoms of diabetic nephropathy anemia

Written by Zhou Qi

Nephrology

Updated on September 19, 2024

00:00

00:00

Patients with diabetic nephropathy who exhibit anemia indicate that they are experiencing relatively severe renal failure. Such patients may show clear clinical symptoms, such as significant edema, excessive proteinuria, and renal failure. The impaired water excretion can lead to swelling in the lower limbs and facial area. The presence of anemia causes fatigue in patients, potentially leading to chronic ischemia and hypoxia in some organs. Symptoms such as listlessness and drowsiness may occur. In the state of anemia due to diabetic nephropathy, the accumulation of metabolic waste may also affect the patient's appetite, causing poor food intake. Additionally, diabetic damage to the retinal arteries can lead to a decline in vision, or even complete blindness.

Other Voices

home-news-image

Written by Zhou Qi

Nephrology

55sec

home-news-image

How to check for diabetic nephropathy?

For the examination of diabetic nephropathy, patients first need to undergo routine urinalysis and check for the urinary albumin excretion rate. Generally speaking, one characteristic of diabetic nephropathy is the presence of urinary protein. A urinary albumin excretion rate between 20 and 200 µg/min is an important basis for diagnosing early diabetic nephropathy. If a patient’s urinary albumin excretion rate consistently exceeds 200 µg/min, significant diabetic nephropathy is often considered. Of course, this is under the assumption that the patient has had diabetes for at least ten years and has diabetic retinopathy. A kidney biopsy is needed for confirmation. Of course, to assess the impact of diabetic nephropathy on kidney function, blood tests for serum creatinine and urea nitrogen are necessary.

home-news-image

Written by Zhou Qi

Nephrology

44sec

home-news-image

Does diabetic nephropathy require a biopsy?

Whether a patient with diabetic nephropathy needs a biopsy depends on the condition of the patient. Firstly, if the kidney disease is in the early stages and the blood creatinine level has not exceeded 256 micromoles per liter, a kidney biopsy can be considered. Otherwise, if the blood creatinine level exceeds 256 micromoles per liter, a biopsy is no longer meaningful since significant fibrosis and hardening of kidney tissue have already occurred. At this point, if it is unclear whether the proteinuria is caused by diabetes or another disease, a kidney biopsy can be considered to diagnose the cause and extent of glomerular damage, and to provide a basis for treatment.

home-news-image

Written by Zhou Qi

Nephrology

58sec

home-news-image

Is diabetic nephropathy with facial swelling serious?

Patients with diabetic nephropathy who experience facial swelling should not use this symptom as a basis for judging the severity of their condition. Diabetic nephropathy is divided into five stages. The condition is relatively mild during the first three stages. By the fourth stage, patients begin to exhibit significant proteinuria, and by the fifth stage, they experience severe renal failure. Conditions in these last two stages are quite severe. However, patients might also experience facial swelling during the first three stages, and while the likelihood of facial swelling increases during the fourth and fifth stages, some patients in these stages might not show obvious edema. Therefore, it is difficult to determine the severity of the condition based solely on swelling. Patients need to undergo 24-hour urinary protein quantification and blood tests to assess kidney function in order to judge the severity of their condition.

home-news-image

Written by Zhou Qi

Nephrology

47sec

home-news-image

How is diabetic nephropathy diagnosed?

The diagnosis of diabetic nephropathy primarily relies on the clinical symptoms and medical history of the patient. Such patients often exhibit proteinuria, sometimes even severe proteinuria, and may also experience renal failure. Additionally, these patients have a history of diabetes, usually extending over ten years, followed by renal damage, and often accompanied by diabetic retinopathy. In such cases, a preliminary diagnosis can be made based on clinical features. However, there is still a risk of misdiagnosis, as the proteinuria could also be caused by other diseases affecting the glomeruli. Therefore, to confirm the diagnosis, it is best to conduct a renal biopsy, which can provide a definitive diagnosis.

home-news-image

Written by Zhou Qi

Nephrology

1min 1sec

home-news-image

How to reduce proteinuria in diabetic nephropathy.

A major clinical feature of diabetic nephropathy is the occurrence of proteinuria, which, if the condition continues to progress, can lead to kidney failure. Controlling proteinuria in the early stages of the disease is indeed very important. In terms of treatment, it is primarily necessary to use medications or insulin to control the patient's blood sugar, as hyperglycemia is the fundamental cause of diabetic nephropathy. Additionally, these patients often also have hypertension, necessitating the use of antihypertensive drugs to control blood pressure. When the patient's kidney function is not severely impaired, ACE inhibitors or ARBs can be the preferred choice of antihypertensive drugs, as they not only control blood pressure but also reduce proteinuria. However, if the patient's serum creatinine is significantly elevated, such as over 264 µmol/L, these drugs should no longer be used. (Medications should be used under the guidance of a doctor.)