[Analysis of factors for progression of diabetic renal failure in elderly people]

To investigate the factors in the progression of renal failure in type 2 diabetes in elderly people.

The subjects were 2034 patients hospitalized for type 2 diabetes therapy at Osaka City University Hospital from 1993 to 2000. Among them, 362 patients had diabetic non-dialyzed renal failure. Moreover, 93 patients reached the endpoint of doubling primary serum creatinine values. We analyzed the factors of progression for diabetic renal failure, and divided the cohorts into two groups. One group consisted of patients 65 years old or more (higher age group, HP), and the other of patients under 65 years old (lower age group, LP). We used the Kaplan-Meier methods and Cox proportional hazard models for the analysis of the cohorts with the endpoint of doubling the serum creatinine values.

There were no significant differences between HP and LP by the Kaplan-Meier methods for progression of renal failure. According to Cox monofactorial-analysis, hypoalbuminemia was determined to be a significant factor in the progression of renal failure in both HP and LP. In the Cox multifactorial-analysis, hypoalbuminemia was a independent significant factor in HP, but not in LP.

Hypoalbuminemia is considered to be a significant factor in the progression of renal failure in type 2 diabetes regardless of age, and may be a more significant factor in elderly people.