Diabetes and the Kidney

Professor Christoph Hasslacher, Head of Department at the St Josef's Hospital in Heidelberg, Germany, has specialised in diabetes and its associated complications, particularly diabetic nephropathy, for many years, both scientifically and clinically. He has published many scientific articles on this topic. He is a representative of the 'Diabetes and the Kidney' working group of the German Diabetes Organization. Sonja Bohm is a freelance journalist in science and medicine based in Weinheim. She has focused for many years on diabetes mellitus and its complications. She reports regularly on national and international conferences for German general and technical publications. Amongst others, she is a permanent contributor to the newspaper, Diabetes und Stoffwechsel (Diabetes anbd Metabolism) and writes for the Diabetes Journal.

Preface. Patient Interview. 1. Your fate is in your hands. 2. Diabetic kidney disease - what is it? 3. Early diagnosis of diabetic nephropathy. 4. Management of diabetic kidney disease. 4.1 The benefits of good blood sugar control. 4.2 The benefits of good blood pressure control. 4.3 Eating correctly - it's all about protein and salt! 4.4 Smoking - a particularly dangerous habit for diabetics. 4.5 High levels of fatty acids in the blood - bad news in every case. 5. Diabetics with kidney failure are threatened in other ways. 5.1 How diabetes can affect your sight. 5.2 Kidney failure also endangers the heart. 5.3 The brain also suffers from arteriosclerosis. 5.4 A common problem - poor circulation in the legs. 5.5 The diabetic foot - how to avoid amputation. 6. What else to consider. 6.1 Urinary tract infection - particularly common in women with diabetes. 6.2 X-ray examinations - contrast agents may be dangerous in patients with kidney failure. 6.3 Dental problems in people with nephropathy. 7. Prospects yesterday and today. 8. Special situations. 8.1 Pregnancy and diabetic nephropathy. 8.2 Sport and diabetic nephropathy. 9. When kidney function fails. 9.1 The different possibilities for kidney replacement therapy. References. Appendix. Index.