Blood Pressure Variability and End-Stage Kidney Disease Among Individuals With Type 2 Diabetes: A Nationwide Cohort Study.

Background: Longitudinal evidence of the relationship between blood pressure (BP) variability and end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) among individuals with type 2 diabetes is limited. Therefore, we evaluated the association between BP variability and ESKD in Korean adults with type 2 diabetes.

Methods: The study utilized data from the Korean National Health Insurance Service database, comprising health checkups conducted between 2004 and 2015. We enrolled 36 421 adults aged ≥ 19 years with type 2 diabetes who underwent at least two health checkups and were followed up until the end of 2017. BP variability was measured using the coefficient of variation, standard deviation, and variability independent of the mean. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for ESKD were determined using multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis.

Results: During a median follow-up of 8.05 years, 290 patients with ESKD were identified. The highest quartile of systolic or diastolic BP variability presented a higher risk of ESKD than did the lowest quartile of systolic or diastolic BP variability. The group with the highest systolic and diastolic BP variability had a 77% higher risk of ESKD than did those in the lowest three quartiles of both systolic and diastolic BP variability. These associations were present in younger individuals without comorbidities.

Conclusions: Among individuals with type 2 diabetes, increased BP variability was associated with an increased risk of ESKD. These associations were similarly observed in younger individuals without comorbidities. Maintaining a consistent BP seems to be important to prevent progression to ESKD in individuals with type 2 diabetes.