Maria Carranza
Fairbanks School of Public Health
The Impact of Early Diabetes Management on Long-Term Prevention, with a Focus on Reducing
the Risk of Kidney Disease
The Impacts of Early Diabetes Management on Long Term Prevention
PBHL-S349, Research Methods in Public Health, has been selected as a course with engaged learning experiences to reflect back on. I took this class with Vinita Sharma in the Spring of 2025. This class focus on understanding a range of different research methods. My project explored how early diabetes management could help prevent chronic kidney disease (CKD) in people who have long term diabetes. It is a topic that means a lot to me, diabetes affects my people in my family, and I have seen firsthand how mismanaged care can lead to serious health problems such as CKD. My research looked at how early intervention can improve health outcomes, reduce long-term medical costs, and push for policy changes that prioritize prevention rather than treatment.
What I learned
This project deepened my understanding of how early diabetes management can significantly reduce the risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD), especially among young adults. In this, I learned that data from longitudinal research reinforces the importance of early intervention, not just for individual health but also to reduce long-term healthcare costs and to improve polices that focus on prevention and not just treatment.
It also was interesting to see the connection between clinical outcomes to public health equity. We also saw that when care is delayed, follow-up is inconsistent or the systems fail to meet people where they are, something like CKD can escalate quickly. Seeing how these gaps affect the people has opened my eyes to focus on earlier screening, better access to care, and more funding for proactive care- especially in communities that are often overlooked.