Diabetes patients warned of increased kidney failure risk

Diabetes patients may be at a heightened risk of kidney failure, according to research from a charity.

Diabetes UK has highlighted figures from the National Diabetes Audit showing a 20 per cent increase in people with diabetes needing dialysis or a kidney transplant between 2003 and 2009.

The charity also outlined its concerns that the audit revealed a third of people with diabetes did not have their urine tested, a vital step in identifying the early signs of diabetic kidney disease.

Other findings from the audit showed that half of people with diabetes have not met their blood pressure targets and more than a third were found to have poor blood glucose control, with the problem particularly pronounced among young people.

Douglas Smallwood, chief executive at Diabetes UK, said there was “little good news” in the report, expressing concern over the fact that diabetes patients are missing out on essential health checks.

“There is an urgent need for the new government to address this unacceptable provision of care and avert a disastrous future health crisis, the economic implications of which would buckle the NHS,” Mr Smallwood said.