The prevalence of renal artery stenosis among patients with diabetes mellitus

BackgroundPatients with diabetes mellitus (DM) have a high prevalence of atherosclerotic vascular lesions. It is therefore reasonable to assume that also the rate of renal artery stenosis (RAS) is higher. The presence of a RAS can have implications for the treatment of patients with diabetes mellitus and hypertension and renal impairment. Therefore it is important to be informed about the chance that a RAS is present among such patients.MethodsWe prospectively studied the prevalence of atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis (RAS) among patients with diabetes mellitus. Patients were included if they were diagnosed with DM and hypertension with or without impairment of renal function. If causes of renal disease other than DM or hypertension were more probable on the basis of biochemical data, then such patients were excluded. A magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) of the renal arteries was made in 54 included successive patients.ResultsPatient characteristics: mean age 59 ± 8.5 years (range 35 to 80). Eight patients had DM 1 and 46 DM 2. Mean BMI was 31.4 ± 5.6 kg/m2. A RAS was present in 18 of the 54 (33%) patients, 3 patients had bilateral stenoses. Factors related to the presence of RAS were diastolic blood pressure, glomerular filtration rate and dyslipidaemia.ConclusionIn this group of diabetic patients with hypertension and or renal impairment the prevalence of RAS was 33%.