Effect of ramipril on urinary protein in elderly type 2 diabetic patients with nephropathy

Objective To investigate the effect of ramipril on urinary protein in elderly type 2 diabetic patients with nephropathy in different periods. Methods 120 type 2 diabetic patients with nephropathy (64 males, 56 females) with mean aged (68±3) years were randomized into treatment group and control group (n=60, each). According to test results of 24 h proteinuria and renal function, they were divided into 3 subgroups: the normal urine albumin (normal control) group, the early diabetic nephropathy group, and the clinical diabetic nephropathy group.The control group received conventional treatment, while the treatment group used conventional treatment combined with ramipril 2.5 mg/d.Both groups had treatment course of 3 months.The changes in 24 h urinary total protein and urinary albumin before and 1 and 3 months after treatment, and the changes in blood urea nitrogen and serum creatinine levels in patients with renal dysfunction before and 3 months after treatment were observed and compared. Results 24 h urinary total protein and urinary albumin were significantly decreased along with the extended treatment time (P 0.05 for both). At 1 and 3 months after treatment, there were significant differences both in the decrement of 24h urinary total protein and urinary albumin, and in the blood urea nitrogen and serum creatinine levels between the clinical diabetic nephropathy treatment group and the control group (P<0.05 or 0.01). Conclusions Ramipril combined with conventional treatment can effectively reduce proteinuria and promote the recovery of renal function for type 2 diabetic patients with nephropathy. Key words: Ramipril; Diabetic nephropathies; Proteinuria