Renal replacement treatment for diabetic nephropathy in Northern Ireland 1979-1987.

Twenty-three patients with end-stage renal failure due to diabetic nephropathy received renal replacement treatment. All patients had insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Nineteen transplants were performed in seventeen patients. Two-year graft survival for all transplants was 74% with a two-year patient survival post-transplantation of 81%. Overall two-year patient survival was 73%, compared with 82% in non-diabetic patients receiving renal replacement treatment. In diabetic patients accepted for treatment there was a high incidence of non-renal complications, particularly vascular disease. An aggressive approach to the treatment of vascular disease in these patients may improve overall survival rates.