Traditional metabolic and hemodynamic risk factors are key predictors of chronic kidney disease progression in people with type 1 diabetes across diverse populations. The findings were presented at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes Congress 2025.

This study analyzed three contemporaneous cohorts: white patients in London (n=2,536), black patients in London (n=362), and white patients in Finland (n=3,066), all with baseline estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) ≥45 mL/min/1.73 m². The primary endpoint was a >50% drop in eGFR to <30 mL/min/1.73 m² over follow-up periods of 6–12 years.

Kidney disease progression rates were 3.3% in white London patients, 9.2% in black London patients, and 9.4% in white Finnish patients. Multivariable analyses identified baseline HbA1c, blood pressure, and albuminuria as independent predictors across all groups. Triglycerides were associated with progression in white Finnish and black London patients, both groups with higher rates of kidney function decline. Higher baseline eGFR was protective in all cohorts.

These results indicate that traditional cardiovascular and metabolic risk factors are consistently linked to kidney disease progression in type 1 diabetes, but differences in triglyceride impact may reflect population-specific insulin resistance patterns. The study underscores the need for further research to determine causal mechanisms and develop targeted interventions in ethnically diverse populations.