Renoprotective Effect of the Angiotensin-Receptor Antagonist Irbesartan in Patients with Nephropathy Due to Type 2 Diabetes

Blockade of angiotensin type 1 receptors slows the progression of nephropathy. This effect is independent of the reduction in blood pressure. Diabetes mellitus is increasing in prevalence worldwide and is currently estimated to affect more than 6.5 percent of the population of the United States. 1 Diabetes is the most common cause of end-stage renal disease in this country, accounting for 40 percent of cases. 2 Although the inhibition of the effects of angiotensin II has a beneficial effect in patients with nephropathy caused by type 1 diabetes, 3 no published study with definitive renal outcomes has addressed the issue of renoprotection in patients with type 2 diabetes — a population that differs substantially from patients with type 1 diabetes in terms of demographic . . .