My 70 year old father has had diabetes for five years and uses insulin. Recently, he developed some kidney problems which caused wounds and swelling in both legs. Is there any cure for kidney problems? Unfortunately, he lives outside of the US in a Middle Eastern country.

The development of kidney problems with diabetes is usually a gradual, progressive course. If your father has kidney problems now, there is no easy cure for the problem. Rather, dialysis and medical therapy are needed if the kidney function drops dramatically. At his age, I am not sure he would be a candidate for a transplant. However, more should be known about how much kidney dysfunction there is. There is a wide spectrum of kidney disease with diabetes, ranging from very little impairment to full blown failure. When his legs begin to swell, he probably has increased amounts of protein being lost in the kidney. Doctors can treat this with medication. It will be important for him to have careful medical follow-up.

JTL