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Diabetes and Hypertension

Diabetes

Diabetes is a leading cause of CKD. Type 2 diabetes is common among Black Americans. Black adults are 60% more likely than non-Hispanic white adults to be diagnosed with diabetes by a physician.

What is Diabetes?

Diabetes is a condition that affects the way the body processes blood sugar. Either the body doesn’t make enough insulin or can’t use normal amounts of insulin effectively. Insulin is a hormone that regulates how much sugar is in your blood. Diabetes can damage your kidneys, heart, blood vessels, eyes, and nerves.

There are 2 types of diabetes:

Often called “juvenile onset” diabetes, Type I diabetes occurs when the body doesn’t make enough insulin.

Black woman's hands, testing her blood sugar with an at-home blood sugar monitor

Often called “adult onset” diabetes, Type 2 diabetes is more common. It usually occurs in people over 40 years old but can occur in children. In Type 2 diabetes, the pancreas makes a normal amount of insulin, but the body doesn’t use it effectively. This causes the sugar in the blood to be too high.

Many people with Type 2 diabetes can control their blood sugar by making changes to what they eat or by taking medicine. Some patients must use insulin to control their blood sugar.

Young Black woman with insulin arm monitor

MYTHS ABOUT DIABETES

There are many myths about diabetes. Do you know the facts? Take this short quiz to find out.

Myth or Fact? Eating sugar causes diabetes.

Myth. While eating sugar by itself does not cause diabetes, foods with sugar and fat can contribute to weight gain, which increases the risk for diabetes.

Myth or Fact? All people who have diabetes must take insulin.

Myth. Many people with Type 2 diabetes can control their blood sugar by making changes to what they eat or by taking medicine. All people who have Type 1 diabetes must take insulin. Some people with Type 2 diabetes must take insulin if their blood sugar can’t be managed using other methods.

Myth or Fact? Type 1 diabetes is the same as Type 2 diabetes except that people who get Type 2 are always adults.

Myth.

Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes have different causes and are not the same. Both types of diabetes can occur at any age. However, Type 2 diabetes is most often found in adults.

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease. The body destroys the cells that make insulin so there isn’t enough of this hormone to control levels of blood sugar.

Type 2 diabetes happens when the body doesn’t use the insulin the body makes in an effective way. This causes the sugar in the blood to be too high.

Myth or Fact? A person with diabetes is more likely to develop kidney disease than someone who doesn’t have this condition.

Fact. Diabetes and chronic kidney disease are linked. People who have diabetes are at higher risk for chronic kidney disease. People who have chronic kidney disease are at.

Diabetes and Kidney Disease

About 30% of patients with Type 1 diabetes and 10% to 40% of those with Type 2 diabetes will suffer from kidney failure at some point.

What does diabetes do to the kidneys?

Diabetes causes damage to small blood vessels in the body. When the blood vessels in the kidneys are injured, the kidneys can’t clean the blood properly. Your body will retain more water and salt than it should. This can result in weight gain and ankle swelling. Waste will build up in your blood; you may have protein in your urine.

Diabetes causes damage to nerves in your body. This can make it hard to empty your bladder. The pressure from a full bladder can damage your kidneys. If urine stays in your bladder for a long time, infection can develop from rapid growth of bacteria in urine that has a high sugar content.

Black man in background wrapping his hand in the foreground.

What are the symptoms of kidney disease in people with diabetes?

The earliest symptom of diabetic kidney disease is increased protein in the urine. This is present long before the usual tests done in your healthcare provider’s office show evidence of kidney disease. People with diabetes should have their blood, urine, and blood pressure checked at least once a year. Early treatment of diabetes, high blood pressure, and kidney disease can lower your risk of developing kidney failure.