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Why do some people with diabetes have a higher risk than others of developing kidney failure?
We will hopefully know more in 2021. Watch out for the results of this study – Queen’s University Belfast, University College Dublin, University of Helsinki and the Broad Institute, Boston have just started a 5 year project investigating the genetic factors associated with diabetic kidney disease. They are using 20,000 DNA samples and kidney tissue from persons who consented to prior studies in Ireland, UK, Finland, other European countries and the USA.
An estimated 30-40% of people with diabetes develop kidney complications and diabetic kidney disease is currently the leading cause of kidney failure worldwide.
Prof Peter Maxwell of Queen’s said “ we hope to better understand how having a poor control of diabetes – high blood sugars over a long period of time – can lead to the re-programming of DNA and an increased risk of kidney failure.
Professor Maxwell aims to develop new tests that could be used to screen people with diabetes to assess their risk of developing kidney complications and help select the best preventative treatment.
These are the kind of studies that your kind donations help to fund.
Professor A. Peter Maxwell MD, PhD, FRCP. Consultant Nephrologist. Belfast City Hospital.
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