Prevent Diabetes, Improve Kidney Health

World Kidney Day is March 11 and at Stanford University Hospital and Clinics there will be exhibits about preventing diabetes as a way to prevent kidney disease.   It’s an important message to get out and I think it’s fantastic that Stanford is so committed to spreading the word about the links between the two diseases.

The concern is justified.   With diabetes becoming epidemic, can epidemic levels of kidney disease be far behind?    And what better message to offer than how to prevent such serious life altering diseases.  

There is good reason for concern.   An estimated 40 percent of people who get diabetes will go on to develop chronic kidney disease.   Stanford’s exhibits for World Kidney Day will focus on the unhealthy lifestyles that can promote diabetes. That’s particularly important because there are no early symptoms of kidney disease – it’s usually diagnosed at an advanced stage.

In addition to exhibits, Stanford works hard with their diabetes and kidney disease patients to improve their lifestyles. There are classes and counseling sessions on losing weight, getting exercise, controlling the size of meal portions and eating healthier foods like whole grains, vegetables and fruit.

As you can imagine, though, one additional thing I’d like to see included in the March 11 exhibit and in the counseling process is the role that good oral care can play in preventing and managing diabetes.  

I laud Stanford for bringing attention to the link between diabetes and kidney disease. Estimates are that more than 240 million people worldwide have diabetes. That number is expected to double by 2030.   The US is one of five countries with the highest prevalence of diabetes. The others are India, China, Russia and Japan. Let’s make March 11, World Kidney Day, a time to start eating better, getting in a daily walk and making appointments to talk with your doctor and your dentist about improving your physical and oral health. 

In addition to watching your diet and integrating exercise into your daily routine, good oral health care can help control your diabetes or prediabetes. If you are looking for a dentist that is extensively trained in how good oral health care and the prevention of gum disease can make it easier to control type 2 diabetes, then you need to check out your area’s Dentistry For Diabetics^SM dentist. Follow this link to find a Dentistry For Diabetics^SM dentist near you who knows how to lower blood sugar.