Diabetes patients warned of increased kidney failure risk
Diabetes patients warned of increased kidney failure among sufferers, leading charity says
Also In The News
|
By Matt Hallam. |  |
Wednesday, 16, Jun 2010 12:05
By Sarah Garrod.
Diabetes patients are being warned by a leading charity that there has been a 20 per cent increase in kidney failure among those suffering from the condition.
Diabetes UK said it is concerned that between 2003 and 2009 there was a 20 per cent increase in people with diabetes needing dialysis or a kidney transplant, as shown in today's National Diabetes Audit.
The charity also outlined its concerns that the audit revealed a third of people with diabetes did not have their urine tested, a vital step in identifying the early signs of diabetic kidney disease.
The audit discovered half of people with diabetes were found to have not met their blood pressure targets and more than a third were found to have poor blood glucose control, which carries a very high risk of future complications such as kidney failure, heart disease, stroke, blindness and amputation. Poor blood glucose control was found to be more prevalent in younger people with diabetes.
Douglas Smallwood, chief executive at Diabetes UK, said: "There is little good news from this latest audit.
"Well over two thirds of people with type one diabetes and half of people with type two diabetes in England and Wales are missing out on checks that in real terms translate into preventing blindness or lower limb loss, and extending life expectancy through the prevention of kidney failure, stroke and heart disease."
The audit includes records for over 1.7 million people with diabetes in England and Wales.
"While we acknowledge some improvements have been made, there is an urgent need for the new government to address this unacceptable provision of care and avert a disastrous future health crisis, the economic implications of which would buckle the NHS," Mr Smallwood added.