The treatment of the uraemic diabetic. Are we doing enough? A view from Japan. Fumitake Gejyo and Collaborate Study Group.

We evaluated 725 diabetic haemodialysis (HD) patients, inducted into HD from 1967 to 1993 in Niigata University Hospital and its affiliated hospitals, to clarify the relationships among the clinical course and features including diabetes mellitus treatment. The glucose metabolism was also studied during HD with dialysis fluids containing different glucose concentration. At the time of HD induction, diabetic patients showed lower serum creatinine and more frequent overhydration, compared with those with glomerulonephritis. Heart failure was the leading cause of (53%) among the symptoms as the direct cause of HD induction. The survival rate in Japan, particularly in our group, was more prolonged than that in USA and Europe. The rate was lower in patients with cardiac complications than in those with gastrointestinal problems, and also lower in older patients (more than 70 years old) than in younger patients. Among the patients less than 70 years old, the survival period was longer in patients with serum HbA1c values of less than 7.5%, compared to those with greater than 7.5% Cerebro- and cardio-vascular involvements and infectious diseases were three major causes of death, and cerebro- and cardio-vascular disorders and diabetic gangrene were three major complications. Serum HbA1c was not different among patients with or without these causes of death or complications. In 18.1% of non-insulin-treated NIDDM patients insulin was needed one year after HD induction, while 32.1% of insulin-treated NIDDM patients before HD induction became free from insulin, who showed body weight loss on average of 10 kg. In 33.6% of insulin-treated patients, insulin doses increased from 2 to 20 units/day on the non-dialysis day.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)