For those with diabetes, chronic kidney disease (CKD) could be a silent killer. Now, actress Octavia Spencer is helping spread the word about an underutilized test that could change the game. No matter where you live, chances are you or someone you know is living with diabetes. It is one of the most common health conditions, affecting 40 million people in the US.
While diabetes can affect anyone, it is a disease that disproportionately affects the Black community, with Black adults being 24 percent more likely than US adults overall to have diabetes.
African Americans also die from diabetes 78 percent more often than the rest of the US population, and are more than twice as likely to undergo diabetes-related leg or foot amputation. They are also more than three times as likely to have end-stage kidney disease.
While diabetes can be treatable, it can be an uphill battle, especially in rural or economically disenfranchised communities where information and access to care can be hard to come by. In fact, eight in 10 adults with prediabetes don’t know they have it.
“I often talk about kind of a perilous paradox of our times,” says Dr. Eugene Wright, a diabetes specialist with over 40 years of experience in the field. This is a condition that has great human economic burden, that is common, and treatable, yet often goes underdiagnosed.”
Testing, testing
For Oscar-winning actress Octavia Spencer, the cause hits close to home. Together with Sofia Vergara, Spencer is the face of Mission: Detect the SOS, a campaign focused on encouraging those with elevated risks of CKD and related cardiovascular events to seek an albumin-to-creatinine ratio (uACR) test.
Organized by pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim in partnership with the American Diabetes Association; the National Kidney Foundation; WomenHeart; and The Mended Hearts, Inc., Detect the SOS is educating vulnerable communities about the importance of diabetes prevention and management.
The lynchpin of the campaign is spreading awareness of the uACR screening, a simple test that can detect early (and potentially reversible) signs of kidney damage and resulting cardiovascular complications. The test is designed to measure the amount of albumin and creatinine in the urine. Albumin is a vital protein for our bodies, and healthy kidneys do not filter it out. Your urine should have very little or no albumin. Through the uACR test, healthcare practitioners can determine the health of your kidneys by identifying the presence of albumin in urine.
Kidney disease is a common issue for those with diabetes and high blood pressure, both of which increase the chance of cardiovascular complications like heart attack and stroke. However, early stages of kidney damage might go unnoticed as symptoms do not show until later stages. In fact, up to 90 percent of those with CKD may not know they have it.
According to Dr. Wright, the test “is not only a marker of kidney disease but can flag an elevated risk for cardiovascular events. Considering the fact that people with type 2 diabetes are already at risk for cardiovascular events, having an abnormal amount of albumin multiplies that risk for cardiovascular disease.”
This simple test, which can be done in a doctor’s office or sent to a laboratory, is recommended for individuals with certain risk factors, including diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and a family history of kidney disease. The test can be done at least once a year, and your healthcare practitioner can work with you to monitor and track your results over time.
For many patients, early detection is the key to a healthier future. “I like to explain to patients that in most systems, injury precedes loss of function,” says Dr. Wright. “The earlier that you can detect injury or damage, [the better] you might be able to prevent or slow the loss of function.”
Disproportionate impact
According to the office of Health and Human Services, 13.4 percent of Black men and 12.7 percent of Black women have been diagnosed with diabetes, and the Black population in general is three times as likely to be hospitalized for diabetes-related complications.
Treat early, live longer
By raising awareness of the effects of diabetes and CKD and helping people educate themselves about tools such as the uACR test, Detect the SOS is helping to change the conversation and stigma about health and vitality in marginalized communities.
“For many patients first being diagnosed with diabetes, whether they articulate it or not, the three things that pop in their mind are death, dialysis, and amputation, because they all know a family member or someone who suffered one or more of those complications,” says Dr. Wright. “But now when we have that conversation, we have ways to prevent some of the things that may have happened to your ancestors. It takes the discussion from fear to engagement.”
Early detection offers the golden opportunity to make valuable lifestyle changes that can dramatically alter the future outlook for patients living with diabetes and CKD. Diet, exercise, and lifestyle modifications (such as quitting smoking) are all powerful tools to take control of your health for the better. Even weight loss of five to seven percent of body weight can lower the incidence of type 2 diabetes by 58 percent. Studies have also shown that a kidney-friendly diet, weekly exercise, stress management, and lowering alcohol intake can help ease the symptoms of CKD.
For patients like Spencer, diabetes doesn’t have to dim your light. With increasing awareness and education in vulnerable communities and early interventions, managing these chronic health conditions can lead to a longer, healthier, and brighter future.
Super supplements
Want an extra boost in managing your diabetes? Consider some simple supplements you can take at home:
Vitamin B12 deficiency can be common in those with diabetes, leading to worsening cardiac and neurological symptoms.
Alpha-lipoic acid can help your body use its own insulin to lower blood sugar.
Magnesium, another common deficiency in diabetics, may help regulate insulin and glucose.
Acetyl-L-carnitine 5 provides a boost in insulin sensitivity and metabolism.
Vitamin D reduces inflammation and may help regulate insulin.
Always consult your healthcare practitioner to confirm which supplements are right for you.
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