Heart, kidneys, eyes, nerves and skin – if not controlled properly diabetes can cause head-to-toe damage; but there is plenty you can do to protect yourself.
Whether you’ve been recently diagnosed with diabetes or had the condition for years, you probably know there’s more to diabetes than first meets the eye.
But did you know diabetes can potentially affect almost every organ in your body?
This may not seem immediately obvious, but delve deeper and you’ll find that poor diabetes management could lead to damage of your key organs – from the heart and eyes, to the kidneys and nerves.
However, simply being aware of the potential hazards, and knowing what to do to protect yourself, can reduce your risk significantly.
Here, we show how three organs can be affected by diabetes and what you can do to help protect yourself.
Your kidneys
What do they do?
The kidneys are bean-shaped organs on either side of the body and are found just below the ribcage. Your kidneys are important because they:
- Filter and clean the blood by getting rid of any waste products and extra fluid by making urine.
- Regulate the amount of fluid and various salts in the body, which helps to control blood pressure.
- Release hormones: one which acts on bone marrow, helping the production of red blood cells, and another which helps to regulate blood pressure.
How can diabetes damage them?
Diabetic nephropathy (diabetic kidney disease) develops slowly over many years, but if caught early on can be treated. Poorly controlled blood glucose levels and/or high blood pressure can cause damage to the tiny blood vessels that supply the kidneys.
The blood vessels thicken or become irregular, so they are unable to filter waste products from the blood into the urine, preventing the kidneys from doing their job properly.
It is currently estimated that 20-40 per cent of people with Type 1 diabetes and almost a third of people with Type 2 will develop diabetic nephropathy. However, as treatments improve, fewer people are being affected.
What you can do to protect yourself
There are several things you can do to help your kidneys stay healthy:
- Keep your blood glucose levels within the targets agreed with your healthcare team.
- Keep your HbA1c below 48mmol/mol (6.5 per cent) – your diabetes healthcare team should check your HbA1c, which is a measure of your long-term blood glucose control, at least once a year.
- Have your blood pressure measured and recorded at least once a year, and set a personal target that is right for you.
- Reduce salt in your diet to 6g or less a day. Hidden salt is contained in many processed foods.
- Do regular physical activity – the recommended minimum amount of activity for adults is 30 minutes on at least five days of the week. This can include activities such as gardening, vacuuming and walking.
- Follow a healthy, balanced diet that is low in fat, sugar and salt, and includes plenty of fruit and vegetables.
- Stop smoking – nicotine damages the insides of the blood vessesls and allows blood fats and plaque to stick to them, which can cause your blood pressure to rise.
- Make sure you have your kidney function monitored annually. You should have two tests for your kidneys: a urine test for protein (a sign of possible kidney problems) and a blood test to measure kidney function.