[Diabetic nephropathy]

Abstract

The number of elderly diabetic patients who require chronic hemodialysis is progressively increasing in Japan. Thus, halting the progression of diabetic nephropathy in elderly diabetic patients is a clinically important issue. However, there is little information or evidence of this complication. Understanding the change of the kidney function with aging, the clinical characteristics and factors associated with the progression of diabetic nephropathy in this population should be useful for establishing effective therapeutic strategies to prevent this life threatening complication.