Kidney health: Novel inflammatory-nutritional marker linked to diabetic kidney disease risk; here’s what it means | – The Times of India

Your kidneys are real workhorses. They quietly handle a lot — filtering out waste, balancing your fluids, keeping your blood pressure in check, and even helping make red blood cells.But when something puts stress on them — like a bad diet, not drinking enough water, high blood pressure, or diabetes — they can start to falter. If that keeps up, you’re looking at a higher risk for chronic kidney disease, kidney stones, and a bunch of other health problems.Lately, there’s another kidney issue that’s been getting more common: diabetic kidney disease, or DKD. It’s a serious complication that hits millions of people with diabetes.If it’s not caught early, DKD can eventually lead to kidney failure and life-changing health issues.Don’t Ignore Silent Kidney Damage: How to Detect Issues Before It’s Too Late | Dr Sanjeev BagaiSo, what’s the actual connection between diabetes and kidney trouble?Here’s where things get interesting.Scientists recently founda new marker in the blood that could help spot DKD early. It’s called the red cell distribution width-to-albumin ratio (RAR). And the best part? It comes from routine blood tests you probably already get. Research shows that a higher RAR is strongly tied to a greater risk of DKD in adults with diabetes.This could totally change the way doctors track kidney health in people with diabetes—making it easier and cheaper to catch problems early, keep an eye on risk, and start treatment before things get worse.What is diabetic kidney disease, and why should you care?DKD is common if you have diabetes, both type 1 and type 2. High blood sugar over time damages the tiny blood vessels in your kidneys, making it harder for them to filter waste. If you ignore it, DKD can turn into full-blown chronic kidney disease or even end-stage kidney failure.That’s when you might need dialysis or a kidney transplant. Catching DKD early is key to slowing it down and avoiding nasty complications, but the usual tests (like eGFR or urine albumin) don’t always pick up on early warning signs.RAR: The new marker on the blockSo what exactly is RAR? It stands for red cell distribution width-to-albumin ratio. Basically, it combines two common blood test results:Red cell distribution width (RDW) shows how much your red blood cells vary in size — a clue about inflammation or nutritional issues.Serum albumin is a protein your liver makes. It tells doctors about your nutrition and helps keep your body’s fluids in balance.If your RDW is high and your albumin is low, your RAR goes up. That can mean your body’s dealing with chronic inflammation or poor nutrition — both big drivers of kidney damage. Researchers looking at data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) noticed that adults with diabetes and a higher RAR had a much greater risk of DKD.Why RAR matters for people with diabetesSpotting people at higher risk for DKD early gives doctors a chance to step in sooner — with chan Read More