Diabetic Nephropathy The Major Complications Of Diabetes...

Diabetic Nephropathy Diabetic nephropathy is one of the major complications of diabetes mellitus. Current statistics suggests that diabetic nephropathy is the leading cause of chronic kidney disease in the United States as well as many other Western societies. It is also reported to be one of the most significant long-term complications in terms of morbidity and mortality for individual patients with diabetes. Diabetes is responsible for 30-40% of all end-stage renal disease (ESRD) cases in the United States. This paper is meant to elaborate on the pathophysiology, symptoms, diagnosis, prognosis, and the management of this major complication of diabetes but first, we are going to give some background on diabetes mellitus itself. Diabetes†¦show more content†¦In the event of diabetes, the body either does not make enough insulin or can not use its own insulin as well as it should. This eventually causes sugars to build up in the blood. This hyperglycemia usually leads to acute as well as chronic complications in the body. The National Diabetes Statistics Report published in 2014, states that 29.1 million people or 9.3% of the U.S. population have diabetes amongst which about 21 million cases have been diagnosed and 8.1 million cases are still undiagnosed. Approximately 1.4 million Americans are diagnosed with diabetes every year. Diabetes was found to be the 7th leading cause of death in the United States in 2010, with 69,071 death certificates listing it as the underlying cause of death, and a total of 234,051 death certificates listing diabetes as an underlying or contributing cause of death†. Diabetes also certainly poses a huge financial burden. In 2012, it accounted for $245 billion in total costs of diagnosed diabetes, $176 billion for direct medical costs, and $69 billion in reduced productivity (National Diabetes Statistics, 2014). Regardless of this astonishing statistical information, diabetes can be managed and treated by eating healthy, doing regular physical exercise, and through the use of medications which work to lower blood glucose levels. Patient education and self care healthy practices are very important aspects in diabetes management. It is also crucial to