What's good for the heart may be good for the kidneys, too.

 

As a person with diabetes, you know it's important to monitor your blood sugar levels and control the amount of carbohydrates you eat. But a recent study at the University of California-Davis indicates that monitoring certain blood fats (lipids, including cholesterol and triglycerides) and limiting bad fats in your diet may be just as important - but not for the reasons you might think.

 

High LDL ("bad") cholesterol, low HDL ("good") cholesterol and high triglycerides ("trigs") have long been known risk factors for atherosclerosis, a thickening of the artery walls that can lead to heart attacks. But, new research is looking into how these lipids contribute to kidney failure (nephropathy), which is one of the leading causes of premature death in people with diabetes.

 

John C Rutledge, MD, senior author of the study and UC-Davis professor of cardiovascular medicine,explains that these blood fats appear to damage the tiny blood vessels in the kidneys that filter waste from the blood. Controlling the levels of these fats in your bloodstream may fend off kidney disease while helping reduce your risk for heart attack. It's a win-win.

 

"The same lifestyle changes and lipid control therapies recommended for patients with cardiovascular disease are also important for kidney health," says Dr. Rutledge. Better monitoring and control of these blood-fat levels could reduce the incidence of kidney failure and the need for dialysis and transplants.

 

Keep your trigs under 150 for optimal health. Here's a list of do's and don'ts to help you:

 

DO's -

DON'Ts:

In the Know - Diabetes - Healthmonitor Dec. 2010/Jan. 2011 edition

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