title: Comparison of the prevalence and associated features of abnormal albumin excretion in insulin-dependent and non-insulin-dependent diabetes.
abstract: Overnight albumin excretion rates were measured in 940 diabetic patients, 416 with insulin dependent and 524 with non-insulin dependent diabetes, and in 106 healthy volunteers. A significantly higher number of non-insulin dependent diabetic patients had abnormal albumin excretion compared with the insulin-dependent group (X2 = 15.2, p less than 0.002). Ten per cent of non-insulin-dependent and 7 per cent of insulin-dependent diabetic patients had albumin excretion rates in the range 30-150 micrograms/min and thus were at risk of the cardiovascular and renal complications of diabetes. Six per cent of non-insulin-dependent and 5 per cent of insulin-dependent diabetic patients had albumin excretion rates above 150 micrograms/min and thus were entering the phase of clinical diabetic nephropathy. Multivariate analysis revealed that male sex and retinopathy in insulin-dependent diabetes, and systolic blood pressure and retinopathy and peripheral vascular disease in non-insulin-dependent diabetes, were significantly related to albumin excretion. Only one patient with insulin-dependent diabetes of less than 5 years known duration had an albumin excretion rate in the range 30-150 micrograms/min, whereas such an excretion rate indicating patients at risk was observed at all durations of non-insulin-dependent diabetes. It is possible that during the long silent phase of non-insulin-dependent diabetes, before diagnosis, significant renal damage occurred.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Newcastle upon Tyne.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Marshall
authors.forename: K G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Alberti
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000419:Albuminuria / Q000209:etiology*; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000150:complications / Q000652:urine*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications / Q000652:urine*; D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000652:urine; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012737:Sex Factors