Diabetes and Your Kidneys
How diabetes damages your kidneys, how it is caught early, and how to slow it down.
Last updated: 2026-09-24
Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure in India. Over years, high blood sugar damages the small vessels in your kidney filters.
Catching it early
- A urine albumin test — the earliest sign
- An eGFR blood test
- Yearly screening if you have diabetes
Slowing it down
- Keep your blood sugar and HbA1c in range
- Control your blood pressure, often with ACE inhibitors or ARBs
- Reduce salt and avoid harmful painkillers
- Don’t smoke
Skip the unproven remedies
No supplement or cleanse reverses diabetic kidney damage, and some herbal products harm compromised kidneys.
Frequently asked questions
Can diabetic kidney disease be reversed?
Early changes can be slowed or partly improved with firm control, but established scarring is not reversible.
How often should I have my kidneys checked?
At least once a year with urine albumin and eGFR, more often if either is abnormal.