Kidney Research UK and Diabetes UK have joined forces, bringing together their scientists and research, in order to understand why kidney disease develops in people with diabetes, and how to stop it.
In a joint statement the charities said that almost four in five people with diabetes will develop some stage of kidney disease during their lifetime, and the impact of kidney disease and diabetes combined is debilitating. Diabetes is the single most common cause of kidney failure in the UK.
The two charities have established clinical studies groups, featuring groups of scientists, healthcare professionals and people living with either diabetes or kidney disease, who work together to identify the most important areas of future research.
The groups are collaborating to ensure that expertise across diabetes and kidney disease is put to the best use, in order to tackle research priorities and improve the lives of people with these conditions.
The two medical research charities said that they are keen to fund research into the relationship between kidney disease and diabetes, and the development of new treatments.
They said they are open to co-funding research projects, and encouraged researchers to notify both charities in advance of applying for grant funding.
A spokesman for the charities said that there is not a central pot of money for co-funding, but that the two charities would provide half the grant funding each.
Elaine Davies, director of research at Kidney Research UK, said: “By working together, our two charities want to protect people with diabetes from developing kidney disease and slow the progression of this devastating condition, helping people live longer. We don’t yet know why some people with diabetes are at a higher risk of kidney disease than others.
“But, what we do know is kidney disease spotted later can result in poorer health outcomes, with people dying unnecessarily. We need to help people with diabetes and healthcare professionals to spot the signs of kidney disease early and reduce the risk.”
Dr Elizabeth Robertson, director of research at Diabetes UK, said: “The statistics around kidney disease in people with diabetes are shocking – one in five deaths in people with Type 1 diabetes is a result of kidney disease, and this needs to change.
“As well as supporting healthcare professionals to spot the signs of kidney disease, we need to bring scientific experts together to speed up research into new treatments which can stop kidney disease in its tracks. Working together, our charities believe that we can put a stop to the harm diabetes causes.”
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