Relation of lipid abnormalities to progression of renal damage in essential hypertension, insulin-dependent and non insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

Abstract

Lipid abnormalities are common in diabetes mellitus and in essential hypertension, but their contributions to diabetic and hypertensive nephropathy are unclear. Relevant data from several clinical trials are summarized here, as is a longitudinal study of diabetes mellitus showing that cholesterol correlates with both angiotensin II and blood pressure. The significant association of blood pressure and the renin-angiotensin system with declining renal function provides a mechanism whereby cholesterol may possibly impact adversely upon kidney function in diabetes.