Nation IN BRIEF : ILLINOIS : Diabetic Smokers Face Kidney Peril
Smoking appears to significantly boost the risk of kidney damage among diabetics, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Assn. in Chicago. Researchers from the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Denver said their study of 359 insulin-dependent diabetics ages 14 to 21 found those who smoked were two to three times more likely to develop kidney damage than nonsmokers. To gauge the amount of kidney damage, researchers studied levels of albumin--a protein normally found in the blood--in the patients’ urine.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
