Diabetic nephropathy--are there differences between type I and type II?

It has commonly been assumed that the renal risk in type II diabetes is markedly lower than in type I diabetes since only approximately 5% of the former but 40% of the latter experience renal failure. Based on our observations in the diabetes outpatient department of the University of Heidelberg, we conclude that the cumulative risk of developing proteinuria for the nonproteinuric type II diabetic and the cumulative risk of developing renal failure for the proteinuric type II diabetic are comparable with the respective risks of the type I diabetic. This observation is noteworthy since there is no uncontroversial evidence of hyperfiltration in early type II diabetes. Type II diabetes may be an interesting model for testing the hyperfiltration theory.