prevalence of diabetic nephropathy in mazandaran

diabetic nephropathy is common in mazandaran and a significant number of patients under chornic hemodialysis are diabetics. the present study was designed to study the prevalence and predisposing factors of diabetic nephropathy (dn) in mazandaran. methods: during a 20 months period from june 1993 through december 1994, 490 (350 female, 140 male) cases of non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (niddm) were diagnosed according to the criteria of national diabetes data group. dn was diagnosed in 18 (11 male, 7 female) patients with proteinuria of 500 mg or more in a 24-hour urinary sample in at least two separate occasions, and excluding other causes of nephropathy. results: 3.7 percent of all niddm patients had dn, 15+5 years after onset of diabetes. male patients have higher prevalence of dn (7.8%) than female (2%). onset of diabetes before 50 years age in male is a risk factor for dn (9.5%) as compared after 50 (4.5%) (p=0.01), in female the prevalence of dn before and after 50 is, 1 and 3.4 percent respectively (p=ns). conclusions: in mazandaran dn is not uncommon, it is more common in male patients than female. the age of onset, duration of diabetes and maleness are predisposing factors for dn.