Effect of Lifestyle Changes on Microalbuminuria in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes: An Integrative Literature Review

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

Diabetic Kidney Disease (DKD) is the leading cause of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) worldwide and represents one of the most significant complications associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).Given the clinical and epidemiological impact of this condition, lifestyle interventions have been extensively investigated as potential strategies for nephroprotection.The objective of this literature review was to evaluate the relationship between lifestyle-based interventions and renal outcomes in adults with T2DM, including microalbuminuria, proteinuria, and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR).This is a literature review based on searches of the Virtual Health Library (BVS/LILACS) and PubMed/ME-DLINE databases, encompassing studies published between 2015 and 2025.We included clinical trials, observational studies, and cohort studies that evaluated dietary interventions and/or physical activity in individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2D), resulting in a total of 11 selected studies.The results indicate that dietary patterns of higher nutritional quality, with a lower insulin load and lower sodium intake, as well as regular physical activity-especially of moderate to vigorous intensity-are consistently associated with reduced albuminuria, preservation of renal function, and slower progression of CKD.Structured calorie-restriction interventions and supervised exercise programs demonstrated more pronounced renoprotective effects compared to usual care.It is concluded that lifestyle interventions have a favorable impact on markers of kidney damage in individuals with type 2 diabetes and should be systematically incorporated into clinical management, with the aim of preserving kidney function and reducing microvascular complications.