The commonest cause of kidney failure in the world today is Diabetic Nephropathy - damaged kidneys that result from Diabetes. In simple terms, exposure of the kidneys to uncontrolled high concentrations of sugar in the blood results in damage that causes them to gradually lose their normal ability to get rid of the body’s unwanted chemicals and toxins. When the kidneys in these patients finally reach the stage at which they fail to adequately perform their function (a condition termed Kidney Failure or Renal Failure) , these patients will need regular Dialysis – a process in which they have to be connected every two to four days to an artificial kidney machine which extracts the toxins from their circulation. Failure to remove these toxins regularly allows them to accumulate in the blood, which leads to death from kidney failure.
At present the only alternative to this process of twice a week dialysis for patients suffering from kidney failure is for the patient to undergo a kidney transplant.
Diabetes and its Consequences
With the number of diabetics in the world projected to double over the next twenty years – from 155 million today to 300 million by 2030 - the consequences of diabetic kidney damage are likely to cause massive problems for populations and health service providers worldwide. One aspect of this looming diabetes epidemic obviously involves planning hospitals and facilities for the next two decades of diabetic patients. A more pragmatic long term approach however is to start now to minimise the number of people who will develop diabetes - and this is where each of us can take responsibility for preventing ourselves developing this dangerous disease.
Obesity and Diabetes
Unfortunately men who consume more calories than they expend are very susceptible to Diabetes. It would be safe to say that virtually everybody who reads this article either has diabetes themselves – or has a family member or friend who has diabetes. And with the increasing prevalence of obesity in many populations, it goes without saying that more and more men in the 21st century will develop diabetes!
The truth is that diabetes is in one's genes – but in most cases men won’t develop the disease unless they allow it to develop by the way they live our lives. We were all meant to use up the calories we consume by our daily activities – after all, our ancestors started out living in caves and eating roots, vegetables and the flesh from animals they hunted. These days however we live in houses, and consume more than we need of fried foods, processed sweet foods and sugary carbonated drinks (with or without cocaine derivatives). We walk very little – perhaps only from the car or bus or train to the desk at which we sit from nine to five. We all put on weight as we get older, especially around our waists.
If one looks at photographs of people taken a hundred years ago, one would not help but notice that they looked much slimmer than folk of the 21st century!
Weight Gain
Putting on weight and not exercising is a sure way to bring on diabetes as age advances. Diabetes is a damaging disease that makes a diabetic six times more likely to get a heart attack than a non diabetic.
It is a good precaution once a year to get checked for diabetes – especially if a man is over forty, over weight or over indulgent in the good foods of life.All that is needed is a simple blood test.
Prevention
The best way to prevent diabetes is to avoid putting on weight and start exercising. If a person wants to take steps – literally and metaphorically - to prevent getting Diabetes, the simplest rule to follow is to "Eat Less - and Walk More".
