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Over the past few years, my fingernails have become thinner and more prone to cracking. Small scraping tasks I could perform previously were no longer possible without bending or cracking my fingernail(s). Since we know diabetes and CKF impact our bodies in ways that are not always apparent, I explored the ties between fingernail health diabetes and CKF. Recall that quite often diabetes is a precursor of CKF; they often go hand-in-hand. Likewise, CKF more often than not leads to dialysis.

For this research I used Perplexity.ai. Recall that perplexity.ai is an intelligent “Google” that provides textual responses not just links as Google does. I first inquired about the link between nail failure and diabetes, then CKF. Perplexity’s responses followed by my closing remarks are below:

The connection between being a type 2 diabetic and experiencing thinner and cracking fingernails is attributed to the impact of diabetes on the nail matrix and vascular function. Diabetes can lead to weakened nails due to vascular disease, which disrupts the nail matrix’s function, causing the nails to become brittle and thin. This vascular disease, resulting from high glucose levels in the blood, affects the supply of oxygen and nutrient-rich blood to the nail matrix, leading to nail abnormalities. Additionally, diabetes can increase the risk of fungal nail infections, further affecting the health and quality of the nails

1. Research also suggests that long-term type 2 diabetes affects the intrinsic material properties and structural integrity of tissues, including the fingernails, due to prolonged hyperglycemia causing chronic damage to tissue quality2. Furthermore, people with diabetes have a higher risk of fungal nail infections, as diabetes can make nails brittle and prone to splitting due to changes in the protein composition of the nail plate3. Therefore, individuals with type 2 diabetes should be mindful of changes in their fingernails and seek medical advice if they notice any abnormalities, as these could be indicative of underlying diabetic-induced tissue damage.

The search results indicate that there is a tie between chronic kidney disease (CKD) and fingernail changes, such as becoming thinner and cracking. CKD can cause various nail disorders and abnormalities, including half-and-half nails (Lindsay’s nails), absent lunula, splinter hemorrhages, and changes in color and texture. These nail changes can be non-specific signs of renal impairment and may precede other symptoms of CKD. The presence of half-and-half nails, where the top part of the nails is white and the bottom part is a reddish-brown color, can be a valuable clue to underlying kidney disease, especially when serum creatinine levels are not readily available

1234. Therefore, individuals experiencing changes in their fingernails, such as becoming thinner and cracking, should consider consulting a healthcare professional to evaluate the possibility of underlying kidney disease.

We deduce from the above that both diabetes and CKF may lead to fingernail abnormalities. Along with diabetes, I also have been diagnosed with peripheral artery disease and peripheral neuropathy both of which may impact nails. The bottom line is it’s just something I’m going to have to learn to live with. If you’re also in my boat, you probably will have to also.