Objective: to investigate the association between a decreased estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), albuminuria and mortality in elderly patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).
Design: prospective observational cohort study.
Setting: primary care.
Subjects: eight hundred and ten patients, ≥65 years with T2DM. Analyses were performed in age strata: 65-75 (n = 471), >75 (n = 339) years.
Methods: Cox proportional hazard modelling was used to investigate the association between eGFR, albuminuria and all-cause and cardiovascular mortality after a median follow-up of 9.8 years.
Results: an eGFR <45 and 45-60 ml/min/1.73 m(2) is associated with increased cardiovascular mortality in patients of 65-75 years, hazard ratio (HR): 3.29 (1.58-6.86) and 1.78 (1.09-2.90), respectively; in those >75 years increased cardiovascular mortality was observed when eGFR was <45 ml/min/1.73 m(2): 2.42 (1.47-3.69). Compared with patients of 65-75 years, an eGFR >60 ml/min/1.73 m(2) and normo-albuminuria, fully adjusted HRs for cardiovascular mortality were 2.26 (1.04-4.92) and 4.86 (2.33-10.15) for those aged 65-75 years, an eGFR of 45-60 ml/min/1.73 m(2) and normo-albuminuria or albuminuria, respectively; HRs were 1.33 (0.67-2.66) and 2.01 (1.02-3.94), respectively, for those >75 years.
Conclusions: an eGFR of 45-60 ml/min/1.73 m(2) in T2DM patients is associated with increased mortality in patients aged 65-75 years but not in those >75 years. Albuminuria is associated with increased mortality in patients >65 years.