Diabetic Kidney Disease: From Pathophysiology to Regression of Albuminuria and Kidney Damage: Is It Possible?

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus (DM) poses an increasingly high global health burden nowadays, while in adults, chronic kidney disease (CKD) associated with DM impacts 20–40% of those with the condition. Effective management of CKD in patients with diabetes necessitates a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach. Numerous factors, including glomerular hyperfiltration, oxidative stress, inflammation, and hypoxia are linked to the advancement of diabetic kidney disease (DKD). Currently, no specific treatment for DKD has been established, prompting extensive exploration of new approaches. Renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitors and sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors have demonstrated renoprotective effects in various human clinical trials. Additionally, glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists and mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists have been reported as effective in managing DKD, while new therapeutic candidates are also under investigation, such as soluble guanylate cyclase activators and aldosterone synthase inhibitors. Recent evidence has shown that treating diabetic nephropathy by reducing albuminuria levels and retarding its progression is a complex skill. The purpose of this review is to support the impressive results that appear in reducing albuminuria and the progression of diabetic nephropathy with early and intensive combination treatment compared to the recently emerged conventional monotherapy, with agents that act on different pathophysiological mechanisms.