Vit B reverses kidney risk in diabetes

[Posted: Tue 09/12/2008 by Deborah Condon]

High doses of vitamin B1, also known as thiamine, can reverse the onset of early kidney disease in patients with diabetes, researchers have found.

Kidney disease that occurs as a result of diabetes is known as diabetic nephropathy. Not everyone with diabetes develops diabetic nephropathy, however In severe cases it can lead to kidney failure. The early development of the disease is assessed by testing the urine for the protein albumin. A high excretion rate of this protein is known as microalbuminuria.

A team of UK and Pakistani researchers found that taking high oral doses of thiamine dramatically decreases the excretion of albumin and reverses early stage kidney disease in type 2 diabetes patients.

Their findings are based on a study involving 40 patients aged between 35 and 65. All had type 2 diabetes and each was randomly assigned either three 100mg tablets of thiamine a day or a placebo for a three-month period.

The study found that among those who took the thiamine, their albumin excretion rate fell by 41%. The results also showed 35% of patients with microalbuminuria saw a return to normal urinary albumin excretion after being treated with thiamine.

The UK researchers involved in this study have already previously proven that people with type 2 diabetes have a thiamine deficiency and this could be key to a range of vascular health problems for diabetes patients.

“This study once again highlights the importance of Vitamin B1 and we need to increase awareness,” commented lead researcher, Dr Naila Rabbani of the University of Warwick.

Details of these findings are published in the journal, Diabetologia.