Home
Back| Stage | Change | Duration | Characteristics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stage I | Hyperplastic glomerular filtration | <2 years | Asymptomatic, high filtration, high GFR; can return to normal after blood sugar control. |
| Stage II | Asymptomatic with lesions | >2 years | Microalbuminuria after exercise, thickening of glomerular capillary basement membrane, but reversible. |
| Stage III | Early kidney disease | >10 years | Persistent microalbuminuria (20-200 μg/min), normal GFR, 50% develop hypertension, glomerular damage. |
| Stage IV | Clinical diabetic nephropathy | >15 years | Manifest diabetic nephropathy, persistent proteinuria ( >200 μg/min), declining GFR, normal Cr, 60% develop hypertension, may be accompanied by edema, renal function decline but Cr normal. |
| Stage V | End-stage diabetic nephropathy | >20 years | Clinical manifestations of uremia, GFR <10 ml/min, elevated Cr, 90% develop hypertension. |
Description
GFR, Glomerular Filtration Rate.
Diabetic nephropathy, also known as glomerulosclerosis, has a prevalence of 30-40% in type 1 diabetes after 10 years, making it the leading cause of death, and about 20% in type 2 diabetes. Most patients with late-stage diabetic nephropathy also have diabetic retinopathy (DRP).
