Early glomerular filtration rate loss as a marker of diabetic nephropathy

Abstract

In the early 1980s, studies in type 1 diabetes suggested that glomerular filtration rate (GFR) loss begins with the onset of macroalbuminuria. However, recent evidence indicates that up to one-quarter of subjects with diabetes reach a GFR of less than 60 ml/min/1.73 m2 (chronic kidney disease [CKD] stage 3) before developing micro- or macroalbuminuria. Furthermore, the prospective loss of GFR can be detected in early diabetic nephropathy (DN) well before CKD stage 3. Early GFR loss usually reflects DN in type 1 diabetes but, in older patients with type 2 diabetes, the assessment of early GFR loss needs to take into account the effects of ageing. The assessment of GFR is now feasible at clini..