[Diabetic nephropathy. Pathogenetic, diagnostic and therapeutic concepts].

Today the clinical picture of diabetes mellitus is often determined by its late complications. Diabetic nephropathy appears in about 40% of all diabetic patients with type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus within a period of 10-15 years. Early diagnosis is crucial for the prognosis as appropriate therapy may delay or even arrest the reduction of filtration fraction and terminal renal failure. Most important for the early diagnosis is the measurement of albumin and protein excretion.