Effect of calcium dobesilate administration on the decline rate of glomerular filtration rate in patients with diabetic nephropathy

Objective To determine the effect of calcium dobesilate administration on the decline rate of glomerular filtration rate(GFR) in patients with diabetic nephropathy. Methods The retrospectively study included 337 diabetic nephropathy patients who were followed up from February 2009 to October 2013 in our hospital. 144 patients with diabetic nephropathy served as treatment group. All the patients were given treatment to control blood glucose and the treatment group was treated with calcium dobesilate (500 mg, three times per day). The patients were divided into CKD stages 1-3 according to the original eGFR, and the monthly decline rate of eGFR was compared between the two groups. Results The monthly decline rate of eGFR (ΔeGFR) in the diabetic nephropathy patients treated with calcium dobesilate (treatment group) was significantly lower than the patients treated without calcium dobesilate (control group) (-0.33±2.43 vs. 0.19±2.24 ml/min, P<0.05). According to the original eGFR, we found that the ΔeGFR in the treatment group was significantly lower than in the control group in the CKD stage 3 (-0.98±1.55 vs. -0.17±1.32 ml/min, P<0.05). According to the original level of the urine protein, we found that the ΔeGFR was higher in the patients with more urine protein (P<0.05). Comparing the ΔeGFR among the patients with normal 24-h urine protein excretion, we found that the ΔeGFR in the treatment group was significantly lower. Conclusions Administration of the calcium dobesilate in patients with diabetic nephropathy is effective to the renal function, especially in the CKD stage 3. We suggest that calcium dobesilate is given to the patients when the 24-h urine protein excretion is normal.