Translations:Diabetic nephropathy/7/en

Risk factors

Not all patients with diabetes go on to develop diabetic nephropathy. The main risk factors that increase the likelihood of developing diabetic nephropathy are:

• Poor control of blood glucose
• Uncontrolled high blood pressure
• Type 1 diabetes mellitus, with onset before age 20
• Past or current cigarette use
• A family history of diabetic nephropathy- certain genes have been identified that are associated with DN. ( However, no direct correlation has been established yet. One of these genes is APOL1, which has been found to be associated with nephropathy in African American individuals.)
• Certain racial groups (African Americans, Mexican Americans, and Pima Indians are at higher risk).