Cigarette smoking and proteinuria in Taiwanese men with Type 2 diabetes mellitus

Diabet. Med. 27, 295–302 (2010) Aims Cigarette smoking is a well‐known risk factor associated with diabetic nephropathy. The objective of this study was to further investigate the dose–response effect of tobacco exposure on proteinuria in males with Type 2 diabetes. Methods Five hundred and nine males with Type 2 diabetes were selected from a cohort participating in a glucose control study in Taiwan. Pack‐years of cigarette smoking were calculated to define tobacco exposure. Proteinuria was identified if albumin‐to‐creatinine ratio was ≥ 30 mg/g in at least two of three consecutive urine tests. Logistic regression and trend tests were used to delineate the association between smoking status and proteinuria. Results Compared with non‐smokers, those who had smoked 15–30 or more than 30 pack‐years were respectively 2.78 (95% CI 1.34–5.76, P