Chandigarh 18 march 2025 (Punjab Khabarnama Bureau): In India, the burden of diabetic kidney disease is increasing rapidly due to the high and rising prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus. According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), about 25-30% of people with diabetes in India develop some degree of kidney damage.
In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr Rajiv Kovil, Head of Diabetology at Zandra Healthcare and Co-Founder of Rang De Neela Initiative, claimed, “Early identification of kidney disease in diabetes is crucial to delay its progression to kidney failure and most people with kidney disease in diabetes eventually die of heart disease.”
He explained, “Podocytes are specialised cells in the kidney’s tissue, which is called the glomerular, which play a critical role in maintaining the filtration barrier. In T2DM, persistent hyperglycemia leads to podocyte injury, loss, and ultimately, resulting in protein leaking in urine . Podocyte loss is an early marker of diabetic kidney disease, often preceding a significant reduction in kidney function.”
Dr Rajiv Kovil elaborated, “The Urinary Albumin-to-Creatinine Ratio (UACR) is a key diagnostic marker that can detect early kidney damage. An elevated UACR (>30 mg/g) suggests albuminuria, which is indicative of early kidney disease. Early identification of elevated UACR enables timely therapeutic intervention to prevent progression to kidney failure.
Summary: Uncontrolled diabetes can harm your kidneys. Learn key strategies to prevent complications and maintain kidney health.