Non-dipping circadian pattern as a predictor of incipient nephropathy in normotensive normoalbuminuric type 1 diabetics.

The objective of this study was to assess the value of the abnormal circadian blood pressure pattern by ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) to predict the onset of abnormal albuminuria in normotensive and normoalbuminuric DM1 patients. The participators were submitted to ABPM and followed prospectively until the onset of albuminuria or the end of follow-up. The patients with normal circadian blood pressure pattern were compared with the non-dippers in regard of the time interval free of albuminuria. The survival curves were evaluated by the Kaplan-Meier method. Of 34 patients screened, 10 patients matched the exclusion criteria. Therefore, 24 patients were submitted to ABPM, aged 24 ± 8.3 y, 18 men, and all Caucasian. Elevated levels of albuminuria did not occurin any individual with normal systolic blood pressure dip (>10%) at 54 months of follow-up. Only 22% of patients among non-dippers were free of albuminuria (<30 mg/g maintained for 3 months) at the same time (p = 0.049). Patients that reached the outcome were homogeneous in regard to other clinical and ABPM data evaluated. Abnormal systolic blood pressure circadian pattern predicts the evolution to incipient nephropathy in normotensive normoalbuminuric DM1 patients.

Reduction of proteinuria in patients with diabetes kidney disease and dysautonomia through measures aimed at controlling supine hypertension.

In diabetes kidney disease (DKD), orthostatic hypotension and supine hypertension often coexist, which, when uncontrolled, contributes to the progression of proteinuria and renal dysfunction. Chronotherapy and elevation of the head of the bed during sleep are feasible clinical measures and could contribute to the control of supine hypertension and proteinuria in this group of patients. This study consists of a series of cases, in which nine consecutive patients with DKD, dysautonomia and supine hypertension (intervention group) were instructed to use chronotherapy and inclination of the head of the bed in six degrees during sleep. These patients were compared with a historical control group. The primary outcome was proteinuria behavior. The intervention group had a significant drop in proteinuria levels, while there was an increase in proteinuria in the control group (variation in the proteinuria/creatininuria index in an isolated sample from the intervention group: -6.60 ± 3.90 g/g; variation in the group control: +1.70 ± 7.10 g/g, p = 0.008). Chronotherapy and six-degree inclination of the head of the bed during sleep were associated with a significant decrease in proteinuria in patients in the intervention group, with conversion of nephrotic into non-nephrotic proteinuria in most of these patients.