and Risk Factors of Diabetic Nephropathy in Children and Adolescents

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is the most common metabolic disease of childhood and its prevalence is increasing all over the world through the recent decades. This study was designed to review the epidemiologic aspects and risk factors of Diabetic Nephropathy (DN) in diabetic children in Northwest of Iran. The study was done on 80 diabetic patients (41. 3% male and 58. 7% female) with the average age of 16. 69±4. 50 years at the time of enrollment all recruities were under follow up in pediatric-endocrinology clinic of Tabriz Children’s Hospital during last ten years. They were subdivided based on the presence or absence of microalbuminuria and various parameters were studied and compared between these two groups. The mean age of diagnosis and duration of diabetes were 7. 75±3. 69 and 8. 98±4. 07 years، respectively. Appropriate glycemic control was found in 23. 8% of patients. There were microalbuminuria and overt albuminuria in 45% and 1. 3% of patients، respectively. Hypertension and diabetic retinopathy were detected in 8. 8% and 6. 3% of patients، respectively. According to glomerular filtration rate (GFR) measurment، all of patients had chronic kidney disease (CKD): 90% of them were at stage I and 10% at stage II (p=0. 003)، duration of diabetes (p=0. 02) and level of serum cholesterol (p=0. 04)، were significantly different between patients with and without albuminuria. Poorly controlled glycemic state and albuminuria are relatively prevalent among diabetic children and adolescents in our region، therefore periodic evaluation of renal function are highly recommended، particularly in those with older ages، longer duration of diabetes and poor glycemic control.