Researchers have discovered the biological pathways involved in the development of diabetic kidney disease, according to a study. The findings, which were published in the journal Diabetes, could lead to early diagnostic tests and better treatments for diabetic patients living in New York and nationwide.

Diabetes is a top cause of kidney disease, a potentially fatal complication that is difficult to diagnose in its earliest stages. According to the National Kidney Foundation, approximately 30 percent of patients with type 1, or juvenile onset, diabetes will develop kidney failure at some point. Around 10 to 40 percent of those with type 2, or adult onset, diabetes develop the condition. Patients with diabetic kidney failure are treated with dialysis or kidney transplantation.

Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai discovered that oxidative stress slowly impairs the ability of certain kidney cells to strain waste products from a patient’s blood and create urine. They also found that a cellular receptor within the kidneys could be blocked to modulate the oxidative stress process. The modification preserved the kidneys in mice that were genetically modified to develop diabetic kidney failure. According to the authors of the study, the findings offer a "fundamental paradigm shift" in the understanding of the disease. They hope that the study will lead to better treatments for patients with the condition.

Early diagnosis of diabetic kidney failure is critical to a patient’s chances of survival. When a doctor misdiagnosis causes a patient harm, it may be advisable meet with an attorney in order to see what recourse may be available.

Source: Science Daily, "Diabetic kidney disease is decoded, offering new avenues for diagnosis and treatment," Feb. 23, 2017