Prevalence of Diabetic Nephropathy in Patients with Type Two Diabetes Mellitus: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background and Objectives: Diabetic Nephropathy is the leading cause of end-stage renal disease worldwide, placing enormous pressure on healthcare systems and creating a heavy socioeconomic burden. It is urgent to comprehensively study the epidemiological characteristics of Diabetic Nephropathy in diabetic patients and to analyze the related factors to its incidence in order to implement effective prevention and control measures. The objective of the study is to identify the percentage of diabetic patients who developed nephropathy. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 250 patients who visited Sulaymaniyah Endocrine and Diabetic Center from April 2023 to September 2023. The participants were sent for investigations, including urea, creatinine, urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio, and Glycated hemoglobin. The estimated glomerular filtration rate was calculated by the Cockcroft­-Gault equation. Results: A total of 250 patients participated in the study; 147 were females and 103 were males. Additionally, 190 of the patients were from urban areas, and 60 from rural ones. The mean age of the participants was 59 ± 11.21 years old. Of the patients, 104 (41.60%) had only diabetes mellitus, while 146 (58.40%) had diabetes mellitus and another chronic illness.81 (32.4%) of patients had Diabetic nephropathy; of them, 28.4% had microalbuminuria and 4% had macroalbuminuria. The highest prevalence of nephropathy was found in those patients who were over 65 years old, and the lowest frequency was seen in those less than 45 years old. Conclusion: One-third of patients developed Diabetic nephropathy. Diabetic nephropathy was significantly affected by the duration of Diabetes Mellitus, older age, and other chronic illnesses; however, gender, residency, and Glycated hemoglobin level had no significant impact on the incidence of Diabetic nephropathy.