Diabetic Renal Disease

Diabetic nephropathy is kidney damage occurring as a result of diabetes mellitus. Overt diabetic nephropathy is defined as proteinuria greater than 0.5 g/day. Diabetic nephropathy has a complicated pathogenesis including glomerular hypertension with hyperfiltration and advanced glycation end products. Poor glycaemic control is associated with progression to microalbuminuria and overt diabetic nephropathy. The lifetime risk is fairly equivalent for type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Early disease is usually asymptomatic. Hyperglycaemia causes an osmotic diuresis and, thus, diabetes can present with polyuria. Hypertension develops with microalbuminuria; oedema indicates abnormal sodium and water retention and, occasionally, the development of nephrotic syndrome. Patients with diabetes, perhaps due to accompanying cardiac disease, are particularly susceptible to fluid overload and uraemic symptoms. End-stage renal disease can occur as early as when the estimated glomerular filtration rate is 15 ml/min 1.73 m−2.