Predictors of mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes with or without diabetic nephropathy: a follow-up study.

Objective: To evaluate the prognostic significance of cardiovascular risk factors including 24-h ambulatory blood pressure level and rhythm for all-cause mortality in type 2 diabetic patients.

Methods: In a prospective observational study, 104 patients with type 2 diabetes were followed: 51 patients with diabetic nephropathy and 53 patients with persistent normoalbuminuria. At baseline, 24-h ambulatory blood pressure, left ventricular hypertrophy, glomerular filtration rate and cardiac autonomic neuropathy were measured.