Diabetes UK and Kidney Research UK have teamed up as they aim to decipher why the two conditions are linked
Two leading health charities have joined forces to support people with long term conditions.
Diabetes UK and Kidney Research UK are set to work together to help the more than 22,000 people with diabetes currently in need of dialysis or a kidney transplant
The partnership aims to bring together the charities’ expertise to understand and ultimately stop kidney disease in people with diabetes.
Almost four in five people with diabetes will develop some stage of kidney disease during their lifetime, and the impact of kidney disease and diabetes combined is debilitating.
By bringing together leading scientists and funding vital research, Diabetes UK and Kidney Research UK hope their joint efforts can lead to a better understanding of why kidney disease develops in people with diabetes, and how to stop it.
Elaine Davies, director of research at Kidney Research UK, said: "By working together, our two charities want to protect people with diabetes from developing kidney disease and slow the progression of this devastating condition, helping people live longer.
“We don't yet know why some people with diabetes are at a higher risk of kidney disease than others. But, what we do know is kidney disease spotted later can result in poorer health outcomes, with people dying unnecessarily."
Dr Elizabeth Robertson, director of research at Diabetes UK, said: "The statistics around kidney disease in people with diabetes are shocking - one in five deaths in people with Type 1 diabetes is a result of kidney disease, and this needs to change.
"As well as supporting healthcare professionals to spot the signs of kidney disease, we need to bring scientific experts together to speed up research into new treatments which can stop kidney disease in its tracks. Working together, our charities believe that we can put a stop to the harm diabetes causes.”
The charities have established clinical studies groups: groups of scientists, healthcare professionals and people living with either diabetes or kidney disease, who work together to identify the most important areas of future research. To support this new partnership, these expert groups are now collaborating, to ensure that expertise across diabetes and kidney disease is put to the best use, in order to tackle research priorities and improve the lives of people with these conditions.
