Patient's question:
My relative is 47 years old this year. Before that, they didn't pay attention to their health and were diagnosed with diabetes. Now, they are experiencing diabetic nephropathy again. Is this disease serious?Doctor's answer:
Diabetic nephropathy initially presents as microalbuminuria, which then progresses to persistent proteinuria. However, patients often show no obvious symptoms. Some patients may have excessive foam in their urine (we must first rule out proteinuria caused by other medical reasons). As kidney damage worsens, renal function impairment (indicated by markers such as serum creatinine and urea nitrogen) and further kidney damage will gradually reappear. Hypertension, edema, and ultimately progression to end-stage renal failure with severe renal dysfunction, requiring dialysis or kidney transplantation, are the main causes of death in diabetic patients.