Comparable outcomes in type 2 diabetic patients with diabetic or vascular nephropathy treated by hemodialysis.

AIM: The aim of the present study was to find out any differences in the progression of macroangiopathic diseases and patient survival in diabetic patients with diabetic nephropathy (DN) or diabetic renal vasculopathy (DV) under hemodialysis therapy. METHODS: We compared 24 type 2 diabetic patients under hemodialysis with DV and 102 type 2 diabetic patients under hemodialysis with DN. Observation period was the first 3 years after initiating dialysis therapy. RESULTS: Patients with DN were younger and their diabetes duration was longer (p < 0.05) than in the DV patients. The prevalence of vascular diseases at the start of dialysis treatment as well as after 3 years was not significantly different between both groups. The 3-year mortality was 50% in the DN group and 46% in the DV patients. CONCLUSION: Patients with DN and DV show a similar poor outcome during the first 3 years of hemodialysis therapy.