The cells of the kidneys shrink due to loss of blood supply, resulting in an ischaemic shrunken kidney. There is loss of albumin in the urine to the extent of more than 30 mg to 300 mg per day. Recurrent kidney infections are also common. There is no specific therapy for diabetic renal disease. Renal transplantation offers a solution if renal failure occurs, but there may be other associated complications that may offer poor results.
Associated hypertension has to be aggressively treated.
This affects every part of the nervous system with the exception of the brain. There is de-myelination of the nerves due to ischaemic changes in the minute blood vessels that supply the nerves. Loss of nerve function causes symptoms like sensory and motor disturbances, severe pain, and altered sensation in the area of the nerve, the so-called diabetic polyneuropathy. The nerves innervating the joints are damaged. Pain in the joints due to wrong usage goes unnoticed as the nerves that transmit such pain to the cerebral cortex and spinal cord are damaged by excess blood sugar.