A new study from the University of Bristol has found that a common blood pressure medicine might help slow down kidney disease in people with diabetes.
This is good news for the many people living with diabetes, especially in the UK, where 4.8 million people are affected. People with diabetes are four times more likely to need dialysis or a kidney transplant than people without it.
The medicine is called spironolactone. It’s often used to lower blood pressure, and it can also help reduce the amount of protein that leaks into the urine. Too much protein in the urine is a sign that the kidneys are being damaged.
Spironolactone has been used to treat kidney problems, but it can also cause high levels of potassium in the blood, which can be dangerous. Because of this side effect, doctors are careful about using it.
In this study, researchers wanted to learn more about how spironolactone protects the kidneys. They focused on a part of the kidneys called the glycocalyx. This is a thin, gel-like layer that lines the inside of the small blood vessels in the kidneys. The glycocalyx helps protect the vessels and keep them working properly.
Using kidney tissue from patients, the researchers created a new way to measure the thickness of the glycocalyx layer. They found that diabetes damages this protective layer. But when spironolactone was used, it helped keep the glycocalyx from breaking down.
They also found that the medicine reduces the activity of certain enzymes called matrix metalloproteases. These enzymes can harm the glycocalyx layer. By blocking these enzymes, spironolactone helps protect the kidneys from more damage.
The next step for the scientists is to look into other drugs that also block these harmful enzymes. This could lead to new treatments for kidney disease that don’t have the side effects of spironolactone.
This research is important because it shows a possible new way to treat kidney disease in people with diabetes. Many people could benefit from this discovery.
If you have diabetes, there are also things you can do to take care of your kidneys. Keeping your blood sugar and blood pressure in a healthy range is very important. Eating healthy foods, like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean meat, can also help.
Regular exercise, not smoking, and taking your medicine as your doctor tells you are other good ways to protect your kidneys. And don’t forget to get your kidneys checked regularly with simple tests your doctor can do.
The study was led by Dr. Matthew Butler and his team, and it was published in the journal JCI Insight. As research continues, this discovery brings hope for better ways to treat and prevent kidney problems in people with diabetes.
If you care about diabetes, please read studies about 5 vitamins that may prevent complication in diabetes, and how to manage high blood pressure and diabetes with healthy foods.
For more health information, please see recent studies about vitamin D and type2 diabetes, and to people with type 2 diabetes, some fruits are better than others.
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