Mortality and morbidity in treated hypertensive type 2 diabetic patients with micro- or macroproteinuria

In order to describe the natural history of high risk diabetic patients treated for hypertension we have followed a sequential sample of 100 hypertensive Type 2 diabetic patients with elevated urinary protein excretion ( > or = 60 mg 24 h-1) for a period of 1-7 years. Antihypertensive treatment was instituted in all patients and, in addition, the patients were offered the possibility of participation in an intensified antihypertensive therapy programme. After a mean follow-up of 4 years overall mortality was 13%. Nineteen percent of all patients experienced a cardiovascular event and 7% a cerebrovascular event. In conclusion, in this study the overall mortality was lower that previously reported in proteinuric Type 2 diabetic patients. Antihypertensive treatment may account for this outcome.