Healthy diet in diabetes tied to less kidney disease

New york people with diabetes, who eats foods on general health guidelines of fruit, vegetables, fiber and unsaturated fat were less likely to develop kidney disease than unhealthy eaters, in a new study. Experts also found that eating normal amounts of salt and protein was not tied to a higher risk of kidney disease or death.

Among people with diabetes, high amounts of sugar in the blood can lead to kidney damage over time. So high blood pressure often accompanies diabetes.

The study followed about 6,200 people aged 55 and older with diabetes and no advanced kidney problems. Those people were part of a larger multi-country study on diabetes and vascular disease . Participants filled out questionnaires about how often they ate a range of foods. The researchers plotted those responses on a healthy eating scale of 0 (lowest quality) to 90 (highest quality).People in the study had an average diet score of 24.6, with a range of 9.8 to 66.2.

Over the next five and a half years, about 32 percent of study participants developed kidney disease and eight percent died.

Findings is that participants who scored in the top one-third for overall diet were 26 percent less likely to be diagnosed with chronic kidney disease and 39 percent less likely to die during the study period than those in the bottom one-third.

That was after taking into account their age, gender and how long each person had diabetes.

Moderate drinking - about five alcoholic drinks per week - was tied to a lower risk of chronic kidney disease, as was eating more animal protein.

Sodium, measured from a urine sample, was not linked to a person's chance of developing new or worsening kidney disease except at very high or low levels.

For each 1,000 individuals with type 2 diabetes and vascular disease adhering to a healthy diet, 131 would be expected to experience incidence or progression of (chronic kidney disease) within the next 5 years compared with 151 individuals on an unhealthy diet.

The study draws a conclusion. It shows that if you eat fresh fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy products, these are helpful for your health and tied to less kidney disease.