Research Progress in Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine for Diabetic Kidney Disease at Stage Ⅲ–Ⅳ

Abstract

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD), one of the major microvascular complications of diabetes, can progress to end-stage renal disease and severely threatens patients’ quality of life and lifespan. The pathogenesis of DKD is complex and is currently believed to be related to glucose and lipid metabolism disorders, oxidative stress, abnormal renal hemodynamics, inflammatory responses, and other factors. Western medical treatments for stage Ⅲ–Ⅳ DKD mainly include lifestyle modification, hypoglycemic therapy, antihypertensive therapy, lipid-lowering therapy, and renal triple therapy, which are relatively limited and pose great challenges for prevention and treatment. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) offers unique insights into the intervention of DKD in terms of etiology, pathogenesis, syndrome differentiation, and TCM treatment.