Hypertension is highly prevalent in type 2 diabetic patients (NIDDM) with nephropathy, and is the single most important determinant of the rate of renal function loss. In many of these patients, hypertension is resistant to therapy. Although increased sympathetic activity is also highly prevalent in NIDDM patients with nephropathy and chronic renal insufficiency, little attention has been paid to sleep apnea as the cause of both resistant hypertension and sympathetic hyperactivity in this population. Since the prevalence of sleep apnea is increased in patients with either NIDDM, or resistant hypertension, or chronic renal insufficiency, it is almost certain that sleep apnea has a high prevalence in patients in whom all three states co-exist, i.e. NIDDM patients with nephropathy and hypertension resistant to therapy. As a consequence of undetected and untreated sleep apnea, resistant hypertension, nocturnal hypertension, and sympathetic hyperactivity likely contribute to accelerated loss of renal function and increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in these patients. Hypothesis: A. Sleep apnea is highly prevalent in type 2 diabetic patients with diabetic nephropathy and hypertension resistant to therapy. Treatment with nasal continuous positive airway pressure (NCPAP) will result in a decrease in blood pressure and restore normal diurnal blood pressure pattern. B. Sleep apnea-caused hypertension is mediated by sympathetic hyperactivity and increased activity of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) in type 2 diabetic patients with nephropathy. A decrease in sympathetic hyperactivity in response to NCPAP therapy will result in a decrease in plasma renin activity and plasma aldosterone concomitant with decreases in blood pressure. Randomized, double blind, parallel comparative (two groups) one center trial. Therapeutic treatment with nasal continuous positive airway pressure (NCPAP) Sub-therapeutic treatment with nasal continuous positive airway pressure
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Primary end-point: change in daytime and night-time mean systolic blood pressure
Timeframe: baseline and 6 weeks post intervention