Non-diabetic renal disease (NDRD) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (type 2 DM).

In contrast to Type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM), the incidence of non-diabetic renal disease (NDRD) is very high in Type 2 diabetic patients. A wide spectrum of non-diabetic nephropathy (NDN) including both glomerular and tubulointerstitial lesions are reported in patients with Type 2 DM and their precise diagnosis requires histological examination of kidney tissue. Renal biopsy studies suggest that 25-50% of patients with Type 2 diabetes had glomerular lesions unrelated to or in addition to diabetic nephropathy. Histological studies confirm that NDRD can occur in isolated form without diabetic nephropathy or superimposed on diabetic nephropathy. Diabetic nephropathy can occur in absence of retinopathy and chance of getting diabetic and non-diabetic renal lesions are nearly equal in Type 2 diabetic patient in absence of diabetic retinopathy (RP). The presence of RP suggests the concurrence of DN, but does not exclude non-diabetic nephropathy. Clearly, renal biopsy is indicated in proteinuric Type 2 diabetic patients for precise diagnosis of diabetic vs non-diabetic renal disease. Appropriate treatment of NDRD is associated with good clinical outcome. Thus, it is gratifying to treat NDRD in selected patients. Besides, 40 to 60% of ESRD in Type 2 diabetic patients is not caused by diabetic nephropathy.