Constant glomerular filtration rate in diabetic nephropathy. Correlation to blood pressure and blood glucose control.

Twenty-one patients with diabetes of type I and diabetic nephropathy with reduced glomerular filtration rate (GFR) were followed prospectively with regard to GFR, proteinuria, blood pressure and glucosylated haemoglobin (HbA1). All patients were on antihypertensive treatment. The mean rate of decline in GFR was only 0.38 ml/month = 4.6 ml/year. In one third of the patients, GFR remained constant at a reduced level for at least 24 months. Mean plasma clearance of 51Cr-EDTA in this group was 48.3 +/- 14.6 ml/min/1.73 m2 body surface at entry and 48.0 +/- 13.6 at the time of evaluation. The patients with constant GFR had significantly less proteinuria and lower systolic as well as mean arterial pressure during the study than patients with falling GFR. They also had significantly lower mean HbA1 and fewer very high HbA1 values than patients who deteriorated. The data thus indicate that a combination of good metabolic control and effective blood pressure control may strongly delay the progression of renal insufficiency in diabetic nephropathy. They also show that low degree of proteinuria is a marker of good prognosis.