[Significant risk factors for development of microalbuminuria and diabetic nephropathy in patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes].

Putative risk factors for the development of incipient diabetic nephropathy (persistent microalbuminuria) and overt diabetic nephropathy (persistent macroalbuminuria) were evaluated prospectively in Caucasian non-insulin dependent diabetic (NIDDM) patients. All NIDDM patients < 66 years, with normoalbuminuria (albumin excretion rate [AER] < 30 mg/24 h), attending our clinic during 1987 were identified (n = 191). The patients were followed for a median of 5.8 years. Fifteen of the 191 patients were lost to follow-up. Thirty-six of the remaining 176 patients developed persistent microalbuminuria (AER 30-299 mg/24 h) and five developed persistent macroalbuminuria (AER less than or equal to 300 mg/24 h) during follow-up. The five-year cumulative incidence of incipient diabetic nephropathy was 23% (95% confidence interval 17% to 30%). Baseline log10 AER, male gender, presence of retinopathy, S-cholesterol, HbA1c, and age was found to predict the development of incipient/overt diabetic nephropathy in these patients.