What people living with diabetes need to know about essential tests for kidney and heart health
For this World Kidney Day (12th March), DRWF is launching essential information on two tests for chronic kidney disease. It is estimated around one in three people living with diabetes will go on to develop kidney disease.
DRWF is marking this year’s World Kidney Day with the launch of new diabetes information resource.
Have you had your “double check”? The two vital tests for kidney and heart health for people living with diabetes is published to coincide with the global campaign aimed at raising awareness of the importance of our kidneys.
The resource was written by Janaka Karalliedde, Clinical Professor of Diabetes at King’s College London.
The new information was produced with thanks to review support and endorsement from Kidney Research UK.
Introduction to kidney function
Your kidneys are important organs in the body. They have several roles, which include removing toxins and waste material, as well as re-absorbing and recovering important nutrients back into the body.
How diabetes can impact kidney health
Diabetes can affect many organs in the body, including the kidneys. Diabetes-related kidney disease is a leading cause of kidney failure in the UK.
What this means for you
People with diabetes-related kidney disease have a very high risk of heart problems – so protecting the kidneys can help your heart health and protect you from future heart disease (cardiovascular disease). Many people with diabetes may also have high blood pressure (called hypertension) which, together with diabetes, can cause kidney damage.
Diabetes-related kidney damage is silent. Most people do not feel unwell until kidney function is severely reduced below 30%. As this process of kidney damage due to diabetes can often take time to develop, it is called chronic kidney disease (CKD).
Importance of early detection
As CKD is often “silent” and people may not feel unwell, it is vital to screen for kidney disease early and provide diagnosis for this condition promptly. If CKD is identified early, there are treatments available to help protect your kidney and heart health and these may prevent kidney and heart complications in the future.
You can protect kidney and heart health in diabetes by managing diet, lifestyle factors, having good blood pressure and cholesterol and diabetes care and using medications that can reduce kidney and heart problems.
World Kidney Day
World Kidney Day is a global campaign aimed at raising awareness of the importance of our kidneys.
World Kidney Day is a joint initiative of the International Society of Nephrology (ISN) and the International Federation of Kidney Foundations – World Kidney Alliance (IFKF-WKA).
A statement from World Kidney Day organisers on the 2026 campaign, said: “World Kidney Day returns every year. Across the globe, hundreds of events take place, from public screenings in Argentina to Zumba marathons in Malaysia. We do it all to raise awareness. Awareness about preventive behaviours, awareness about risk factors, and awareness about how to live with kidney disease. We do this because we want kidney health for all.
“Chronic kidney disease is a major and growing global health challenge, affecting 1 in 10 people worldwide.
“Environmental changes are now adding to this burden. Climate-related risks – air pollution, heat stress, dehydration, and extreme weather events – compound the risks of CKD and accelerate its progression. Rising global temperatures also fuel the spread of tropical diseases that can damage the kidneys.
“At the same time, treatments for end-stage kidney disease, particularly dialysis, are resource-intensive: they require large volumes of water, energy, and single-use plastics, and generate greenhouse gas emissions. A single haemodialysis session can have a carbon footprint equivalent to driving a car for nearly 240 kilometres. This creates a feedback loop: kidney disease and climate change worsen each other.”
This year World Kidney Day issued a call to action to governments, health systems, industry, and communities to act together to build a healthier, more equitable, and more sustainable future for kidney health.
Watch or listen our podcast special
We explore the launch of a new leaflet on kidney and heart health produced with the support of Kidney Research UK. We hear from a panel consisting of the leaflet’s author, Professor Janaka Karalliedde, Consultant Physician in Diabetes, Endocrinology and Internal Medicine at Guy’s and St Thomas Hospital in London; Swati Bhagat-Jones, the lead for multiple long-term conditions at Kidney Research UK; Daniel Newman, a patient advocate living with type-1 diabetes who has undergone a kidney transplant; and Cardiff-based GP, Dr Sarah Davies, who has a special interest in diabetes.
Listen to our Living with Diabetes podcast special on kidney and heart health.
Read the DRWF diabetes information resource Kidney health and diabetes for people living with diabetes here in digital and audio format
Financial support has been provided as a grant from Pfizer. We confirm that Pfizer has had no editorial input into the content.
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