Predictor selection for progression and development of diabetic nephropathy among diabetes mellitus type 2 patients

The prevalence of diabetic nephropathy is thriving worldwide such as in the United States, Europe and Asia. Diabetic nephropathy or commonly known as "diabetic kidney disease"(DKD) is characterized by the present of albuminuria, hypertension and progressive renal failure. A variety of predictors are associated with the development, progression and severity of diabetic nephropathy. This study divides diabetes patients with diabetic nephropathy into three groups; Group 1 (diabetes patients who were diagnosed with diabetic nephropathy with the same stage for a certain period of time until the current follow-up), Group 2 (diabetes patients who were diagnosed with diabetic nephropathy without obvious clinical findings but have shown disease development) and Group 3 (diabetes patients who were diagnosed with diabetic nephropathy at a certain stage for a period time but progressively worsen over time during the current follow-up). The purpose of this study is to evaluate the predictors that are associated to patients in Groups 2 and 3. Retrospective data were collected from a healthcare center located in northern peninsular Malaysia. A total of 194 patients were included in this study. Characteristics of data include demographics information such as age, gender, race and clinical data such as glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c), estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), urea and haemoglobin concentration (Hb). Findings show that few predictors and risk factors are significant to the development and progression of diabetic nephropathy. This study is important to reveal the significant predictors and risk factors as healthcare professionals can identify patients with risk for diabetic nephropathy and may reduce the morbidity and mortality among patients.