- Pablo Villarroel R: Centro Salud Familiar Frutillar, Servicio de Salud Reloncaví, Frutillar, Chile. camilovillarroel@gmail.com
BACKGROUND: Type 2 diabetes mellitus is the main cause of chronic kidney disease in developed countries.
AIM: To study the prevalence of chronic kidney disease among adults with diabetes mellitus attended at a public primary health care clinic in southern Chile.
MATERIAL AND METHODS: One hundred patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, aged more than 15 years participated in this cross sectional study. Chronic kidney disease was defined as the presence of a urine albumin/creatinine ratio over 30 mg/g or an estimated glomerular filtration rate of less than 60 mL/min/1,73 m², detected in at least two opportunities, separated at least by three months.
RESULTS: Thirty four percent of participants had chronic kidney disease (17% stage 1 or 2 and 17% stage 3). Thirty percent of participants had an abnormal urinary albumin/creatinine ratio. Halfof the patients with an estimated glomerular filtration rate below 60 mL/min/1,73 m², had a normal urinary albumin/creatinine ratio.
CONCLUSIONS: The rates of chronic kidney disease in this group of diabetic patients are very similar to those reported elsewhere.