Diabetes is a health condition that can bring along many other problems, and kidney disease is one of the most serious.
Around 40% of people with diabetes also develop diabetic kidney disease. In the UK alone, nearly 5 million people live with diabetes, and many eventually need dialysis or a kidney transplant.
One drug called spironolactone, often used to treat high blood pressure, has shown promise in protecting the kidneys of people with diabetes. It helps stop proteins from leaking into the urine, which is a sign of kidney damage.
However, spironolactone also comes with side effects. One major concern is that it can raise potassium levels in the blood, which can be dangerous.
To better understand how spironolactone protects the kidneys, researchers at the University of Bristol studied its effects on a part of the kidney called the glycocalyx. This is a thin layer that lines the blood vessels in the kidney and helps protect them.
Their research revealed two key things: diabetes harms this protective layer, and spironolactone helps protect it from damage.
The scientists also found something unexpected. A group of enzymes called matrix metalloproteases (MMPs) can damage the glycocalyx layer. Spironolactone was shown to slow down these enzymes, which helps keep the kidneys healthier for longer.
This discovery opens the door to future research. If other drugs can slow down these harmful enzymes without the side effects of spironolactone, we might have better treatments for diabetic kidney disease in the future.
In the meantime, people with diabetes can take steps to protect their kidney health.
This includes managing blood sugar levels carefully, keeping blood pressure under control (below 130/80 mm Hg), eating a healthy diet with fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins, avoiding too much salt and unhealthy fats, exercising regularly, avoiding smoking, taking medications as prescribed, and getting regular check-ups to monitor kidney function.
The study, led by Dr. Matthew Butler and published in JCI Insight, gives hope that better treatments for diabetic kidney disease are on the horizon. By learning more about how spironolactone works, researchers may be able to develop safer and more effective options in the future.
This kind of research shows that even old medicines can lead to new ideas and better ways to care for people with long-term conditions like diabetes.
If you care about blood pressure, please read studies about why checking blood pressure while lying down is very important and lowering top blood pressure number to less than 120 mm Hg effectively prevents heart disease.
For more about blood pressure, please read studies that turmeric and vitamin D may boost blood pressure control in type 2 diabetes and scientists find link between blood pressure drugs and bowel diseases.
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