There may be several reasons that increase the risk of diabetes. But a new study reveals that impaired kidney function can also trigger diabetes. The main function of kidney is to remove urea, a waste product that contains nitrogen, from the blood. But when kidney stops functioning properly, urea gets accumulated in blood, which may increase the risk of diabetes. The urea is formed after protein gets broken down during digestive process.
As diabetes can damage kidney function, in the same way abnormal function of kidney can also cause diabetes. Scientists came to this conclusion after seeing the result of research conducted at the Washington University in the US. According to the study, urea may be a possible reason that establishes the relationship between kidney disease and diabetes.
This research reveals very important clue because using this clue doctors can control urea level by medication and diet. Diet means food with less protein as it generates urea after it gets digested.
"We have known for a long time that diabetes is a major risk factor for kidney disease, but now we have a better understanding that kidney disease, through elevated levels of urea, also raises the risk of diabetes," said Ziyad Al-Aly, from the Washington University.
"When urea builds up in the blood because of kidney dysfunction, increased insulin resistance and impaired insulin secretion often result," Al-Aly said.
A research was conducted on 1.3 million people with no diabetes symptoms up to five years, in which scientists found that 117,000 people among them without diabetes showed hike in urea level, just because of their kidney dysfunction. And those who were suffering from kidney problem may have 23 percent risk of getting affected with diabetes.
The researchers assessed 100000 people having low urea level which revealed 2,989 among them were suffering from diabetes and after examination of another 1,00,000 people with high urea level, they found 3677 among them were affected with diabetes.
"The risk difference between high and low levels is 688 cases of diabetes per 100,000 people each year," Al-Aly said.
"This means that for every 100,000 people, there would be 688 more cases of diabetes each year in those with higher urea levels," Al-Aly added.