Diabetes and the kidney

Module 2: Diagnosing diabetic kidney disease

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CME Credits: 1
Module duration: 1 hour
Launch date: Winter 2019 (version 1)
Updated: Spring 2023 (version 2)
Expiry date: March 2027
Audience: Diabetes and Metabolism Specialists (Subspeciality), Endocrinologists (Subspeciality), General Physicians (Advanced), Nephrologists (Basic)

My name is Sally Marshall. I am Professor of Diabetes in the University of Newcastle in the UK and I am also Editor-in-Chief of Diabetologia, the journal of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes. This module is about the diagnosis and screening of diabetic kidney disease. Kidney disease in diabetes is one of the most important complications of diabetes, both in type 1 and in type 2 diabetes. It is the leading cause of people requiring renal replacement therapy worldwide. In this module, we will discuss how we can detect and monitor diabetic kidney disease. This module has five learning objectives: Firstly, we will discuss how diabetic kidney disease presents in people with diabetes. Secondly, how we can recognise it, which screening tests to perform. Thirdly, how we can monitor progression. Fourthly, we will discuss the different types of diabetic kidney disease and, fifthly, describe the very strong association of kidney disease with cardiovascular disease.

The kidney is often regarded as the most important target of microvascular damage in diabetes, and diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is the single leading cause of end-stage renal disease. It is also strongly associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD). This module is designed to help you understand how to determine the presence of chronic kidney disease in people with diabetes and assess its severity, and to appreciate the links to CVD.

Thomas MC, Brownlee M, Susztak K, Sharma K, Jandeleit-Dahm K, Zoungas S, Rossing P, Groop PH, Cooper ME. Diabetic kidney disease. Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2015 Jul 30;1:15018.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27188921

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this module, you will be able to:

Explain the clinical presentation and diagnostic criteria for diabetic kidney disease (DKD) in people with diabetes and the relationship between DKD and cardiovascular disease

Explain the measurement technique and use of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and urinary albumin excretion (UAE) for screening and monitoring people with DKD

Apply current guidelines to a series of typical scenarios of people with diabetic kidney disease


This module includes self-marked assessments, such as knowledge checks and/or case studies, as well as a marked final assessment, which you can attempt up to five times. To complete the module, you must review all chapters, pass the final assessment (80% pass mark), and fill in our feedback form.


Contributors

Professor
Sally Marshall
Author
Professor
Per-Henrik Groop
Expert Reviewer
Assessment Setter
Assessment Setter
Professor
Peter Rossing
Assessment Setter