Diabetic nephropathy: clinical course and effect of hemodialysis.

The clinical course of diabetic nephropathy was evaluated in 150 patients and the effect of hemodialysis in 68 of them. Proteinuria was the first sign of renal disease. Once renal dysfunction becomes evident, there is a rapid deterioration leading to dialysis within 3.0 +/- 0.2 years. Hypertension and circulatory congestion are common complications. The hypertension is probably volume dependent. Retinopathy was not invariably present at the onset of renal insufficiency but appeared with progression of renal failure. The course during hemodialysis was complicated by continued progression of diabetic vascular disease manifested by vascular access difficulties, worsening of retinopathy and blindness, and cardio- and cerebrovascular deaths. Mortality was higher than in nondiabetic dialysis patients.