ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the degree of renal affectation in a group of patients diagnosed as having diabetes mellitus (DM) type II and high arterial blood pressure (HABP), related to the control of arterial blood pressure (ABP) and the type of hypotensor treatment utilised. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Terrassa Nord Primary Care Centre. PATIENTS: Sample of 54 patients with DM type II and HABP. MEASUREMENTS AND SPECIAL RESULTS: The renal study comprised the determination of levels of microalbuminuria, proteinuria and plasmatic creatinine. The microalbuminuria was in excess of 30 micrograms/minute in 12 cases (22%), six of whom had proteinuria in excess of 0.5 g/24 h (11%). Two patients had kidney failure (3.7%). The hypotensors most used were the diuretics (45%) and inhibitors of the angiotensin-converting enzyme (IACE) (40%). The microalbuminuria level of patients with a good control of diastolic ABP (arterial blood pressure) was lower than those with poor control (p = 0.02), while there was no difference between the type of hypotensor treatment used. CONCLUSIONS: We would stress the importance of detection of diabetes patients with preclinical renal injury in Primary Health Care, to be able to apply measures that will modify the development of nephropathy, specifically, with good control of ABP.
