A macrovascular complication of diabetes, diabetic nephropathy is progressive, chronic kidney disease seen in patients with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus, usually after at least 10 years of hyperglycemia (high blood glucose levels). The three main lesions that are seen in the kidney in patients with diabetes are glomerular lesions, vascular lesions, and pyelonephritis. This brick will focus primarily on the first two of these three lesions; diabetic pyelonephritis is covered in a separate brick.
After listening to this AudioBrick, you should be able to:
- Define diabetic nephropathy.
- Outline the timeline of progression of diabetic nephropathy (DN) by urine, serum, and histologic criteria.
- Describe the diagnosis of diabetic nephropathy.
- Outline the prevention of diabetic nephropathy and, once it is established, how to slow its progression.
- Describe the management of diabetic nephropathy.
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