Kidney damage leads to more hospitalizations and deaths in patients with type 2 diabetes

Patients with type 2 diabetes and kidney damage have significantly more hospital admissions for cardiovascular disease and a higher mortality risk than people without diabetes and than patients with diabetes but without kidney damage. This is apparent from research by Nivel, in which we combined medical data from GPs’ patient files with data on specialist medical care and with death statistics. Kidney damage can be limited with adequate and timely treatment.

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The Netherlands has approximately one million patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Damage to blood vessels and nerve tissue often leads to complications in these patients, such as cardiovascular disease and renal dysfunction. More than a third of patients with type 2 diabetes have kidney damage, which is associated with an increased risk of (premature) death, cardiovascular disease and end-stage renal failure.

Kidney damage in type 2 diabetes is preventable

Because kidney damage can be limited with proper treatment, the results of this study give an impression of potentially preventable complications with optimal treatment of patients with type 2 diabetes. This consists of properly treating high blood sugar and/or high blood pressure and limiting of protein loss in the urine.

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