Diabetic nephropathy. Experiences through seven years. Survival curves and causes of death.

A 7-year material is presented comprising 38 diabetic nephropathy patients who were treated by dialysis and transplantation. The cumulative patient survival rate after one year is 39%. The survival rate of the transplanted diabetic patient is poorer than that of the transplanted non-diabetic patient. However, no difference is to be found between the graft survival rates of the two patient groups. Forty-seven percent of the patients died from cardiovascular causes and 43% from infectious complications.