The evaluation of diabetic nephropathy from both research and clinical viewpoints depends on the assessment of two continuous variables, albumin excretion rate (AER) and glomerular filtration rate (GFR). Although increases in AER generally precede a decline in GFR, some patients follow a non-albuminuric pathway to renal impairment. In this Review, George Jerums and colleagues explain why serial assessments of both AER and GFR should be performed at an early stage in patients being evaluated for diabetic nephropathy.
- George Jerums
- Sianna Panagiotopoulos
- Richard J. MacIsaac
