Greater awareness about kidney disease needed for Canadians living with diabetes

Burlington and Toronto, Ontario, October 28, 2015 – According to The Kidney Foundation of Canada, as many as 50 per cent of people with diabetes may show signs of kidney damage,¹ prompting the need for effective dialogue between patients and their physicians about declining kidney function and the need to treat at an early stage. Your Kidney Health Matters is an education campaign launched to increase understanding of the implications of kidney disease in type 2 diabetes management.

“In Canada, diabetes is the leading cause of kidney disease. High blood sugar from diabetes and high blood pressure can damage kidneys,” said Paul Kidston, National President of The Kidney Foundation of Canada. “It is essential for people with type 2 diabetes to talk to their doctor about having their kidneys checked at the time of diagnosis, and to make it a regular part of their medical check-ups. They should also discuss all the ways to effectively manage diabetes to help prevent or delay the loss of kidney function.”

Treating chronic kidney disease
According to the Canadian Diabetes Association’s 2013 Clinical Practice Guidelines, it is possible to slow the progression of kidney disease through intensive glycemic control and optimization of blood pressure.² Kidney disease may start slowly and progress over a number of years, and without treatment, kidneys will eventually fail (known as End-Stage Renal Disease). At this stage, dialysis or a kidney transplant is required.³ Chronic kidney disease is defined as the presence of kidney damage, or a decreased level of kidney function, for a period of three months or more.⁴ All individuals with chronic kidney disease are at high risk for cardiovascular events, such as heart attack and stroke.^5,6

Greater awareness about the link between diabetes and kidney disease is important. As kidney disease progresses the rate of decline of kidney function can accelerate.⁷ As kidney function changes, treatments should be modified, including diabetes medications used for glycemic control.^8,9

“Since the efficacy of some type 2 diabetes medications decreases with declining kidney function, there is a need for effective treatments that tightly manage glycemic control at any level of kidney function,” said Dr. Andrew W. Steele, FRCPC, Medical Director and Chief of Nephrology, Lakeridge Health Corporation and Lead Nephrologist Ontario Renal Network, Central East Local Health Integration Network. “The good news is that there are oral medications to lower blood sugar in type 2 diabetes that can be initiated and the starting dose continued at all stages of kidney function, which means patients can start and stay on the same dose even if their kidney function changes.”

Your Kidney Health Matters public education campaign 
Your Kidney Health Matters campaign was launched today to educate Canadians about the risk to kidney health associated with diabetes and how best to manage their diabetes at all stages of kidney function. To learn more about diabetes and kidney health, please visit www.kidney.ca.

The campaign also includes tips to help patients manage their diabetes and kidney disease, including:¹⁰

• Take your diabetes medications as prescribed.
• Ask your doctor to check your kidneys every year following your initial diabetes diagnosis¹¹ and when new medications are added.^12,13
• Keep your blood sugar at target. Talk to your doctor about what your target range should be.
• Keep your blood pressure at target.
• Talk to your doctor about your personal target.
• Eat a well-balanced diet.
• Exercise (ideally 45-60 minutes four to five times per week).¹⁴
• Don’t smoke.

Kidney matters in diabetes survey findings: Vision Critical
The need for increased understanding of the implications of kidney disease in type 2 diabetes management was recognized from the results of the Kidney Matters in Diabetes survey, which included online interviews with 301 Canadian general practitioners and 760 adults with diabetes. Statistical testing has been conducted at the 95 per cent confidence level. Vision Critical polled respondents on behalf of Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly Canada between August 26 and September 12, 2014.

Survey highlights include:

• According to the survey, 44 per cent of people with type 2 diabetes reported they did not have a discussion with their physician about the risk diabetes poses for their kidney health.¹⁵
• Physicians report that almost 70 per cent of their type 2 diabetes patients have some level of reduced kidney function.¹⁶
• Only 50 per cent of physicians adjust the dosage of medication(s) of their type 2 diabetes patients upon diagnosis of chronic kidney disease.¹⁷

About type 2 diabetes
Diabetes is a complex¹⁸ and chronic disease.¹⁹ There are over nine million Canadians living with diabetes or prediabetes.²⁰ Twenty Canadians are newly diagnosed with the disease every hour of every day.²¹ Approximately 90 per cent of people with diabetes have type 2 diabetes.²²The list of complications that diabetes patients face is long. Diabetes is the leading cause of End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD), blindness, and non-traumatic amputation in Canadian adults. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in individuals with diabetes and occurs 2- to 4-fold more often than in people without diabetes.²³ 

About The Kidney Foundation of Canada
The Kidney Foundation of Canada is the national volunteer organization committed to reducing the burden of kidney disease through funding and stimulating innovative research; providing education and support; promoting access to high quality healthcare; and increasing public awareness and commitment to advancing kidney health and organ donation.

Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly and Company
In January 2011, Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly and Company announced an alliance in the field of diabetes that centres on three pipeline compounds representing several of the largest treatment classes. This Alliance leverages the companies’ strengths as two of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies, combining Boehringer Ingelheim’s solid track record of research-driven innovation and Lilly’s innovative research, experience and pioneering history in diabetes. By joining forces, the companies demonstrate commitment in the care of people with diabetes and stand together to focus on patient needs. For more information about the Alliance visit www.boehringer-ingelheim.ca or www.lilly.ca.

About Boehringer Ingelheim (Canada) Ltd.
The Boehringer Ingelheim group is one of the world’s 20 leading pharmaceutical companies. Headquartered in Ingelheim, Germany, Boehringer Ingelheim operates globally with 146 affiliates and a total of more than 47,700 employees. The focus of the family-owned company, founded in 1885, is researching, developing, manufacturing and marketing new medications of high therapeutic value for human and veterinary medicine.

Social responsibility is an important element of the corporate culture at Boehringer Ingelheim. This includes worldwide involvement in social projects, such as the initiative “Making more Health” and caring for the employees. Respect, equal opportunities and reconciling career and family form the foundation of the mutual cooperation. In everything it does, the company focuses on environmental protection and sustainability.

In 2014, Boehringer Ingelheim achieved net sales of about 13.3 billion euros. R&D expenditure corresponds to 19.9 per cent of its net sales.

The Canadian headquarters of Boehringer Ingelheim was established in 1972 in Montreal, Quebec and is now located in Burlington, Ontario. Boehringer Ingelheim employs more than 550 people across Canada.

For more information please visit www.boehringer-ingelheim.ca

About Eli Lilly Canada Inc.
Lilly is a global healthcare leader that unites caring with discovery to make life better for people around the world. We were founded more than a century ago by Colonel Eli Lilly, who was committed to creating high quality medicines that meet people’s needs, and today we remain true to that mission in all our work. Lilly employees work to discover and bring life-changing medicines to those who need them, improve the understanding and management of disease, and contribute to our communities through philanthropy and volunteerism.

Eli Lilly Canada was established in 1938, the result of a research collaboration with scientists at the University of Toronto which eventually produced the world’s first commercially-available insulin. Lilly Canada now employs more than 500 people across the country, working in the areas of oncology, cardiovascular and endocrine disorders, men’s and women’s health, autoimmunity, neuroscience and diabetes. To learn more about Lilly Canada, please visit us at www.lilly.ca.