A 65-year-old man with type 2 diabetes mellitus visits the doctor for a routine check-up. He began taking oral hypoglycemic medications 12 years ago but was recently switched to long-acting insulin due to poor blood sugar control. His most recent serum creatinine level was 2.1 mg/dL. The patient is concerned about his elevated creatinine level and how it relates to his kidney function. Which of the following graphs most accurately represents the relationship between serum creatinine and glomerular filtration rate?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Eductional Objective: When GFR is normal, relatively large decreases in GFR result in only minor increases in serum creatinine. When GFR is significantly reduced, small changes in GFR produce relatively large changes in serum creatinine. A good rule of thumb is that when GFR is cut in half, serum creatinine doubles.

A 65-Year-Old Man with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Visits the Doctor