Nephropathy in noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus: comparative study with normoproteinuric and microproteinuric subjects.

The role of specific risk factors in the development of diabetic nephropathy was examined among noninsulin-dependent diabetic subjects attending the Diabetes Clinic of Christian Medical College Hospital, Vellore during 1986-87. Seventy-three subjects with normal protein excretion (less than 150 mg/24 hr) were compared with 66 microproteinuric (150-500 mg/24 hr) and 61 macroproteinuric subjects (greater than 500 mg/24 hr). The risk factors included family history of diabetes, tobacco use, dietary habits and metabolic control; the latter was assessed from an average of 5 clinic blood sugar determinations done annually per patient. Patients who had developed proteinuria were characterized as mostly men, with increased tobacco consumption and early onset of proteinuria in relation to duration of diabetes. The mean blood sugar value was significantly high in both the proteinuric groups compared to the group with no proteinuria (p less than 0.01). There was a striking increase in the prevalence of ischemic heart disease, hypertension and retinopathy in the macroproteinuric group compared to the other two groups (p less than 0.01). It is concluded that the risk of developing nephropathy was significantly higher in men, in smokers and in those with poor metabolic control (mean postprandial blood sugar more than 200 mg/dL). Furthermore, it was clearly evident from our study that the diabetic subjects with nephropathy had a higher incidence of hypertension, retinopathy, hyperlipidemia and ischemic heart diseases.