The association remained significant when fasting insulin levels were added to the model (Table 3), or when eGFR, smoking status, diagnosis of diabetes, treatment with ACE inhibitors, ARBs or diuretics, use of metformin and pioglitazone in diabetic patients were added to the model (Table 3), although its independence was not retained with the further inclusion into the model of fibrinogen and erythrocytes sedimentation rate (ESR) values (Table 3). Here, ACE is linked to diabetes mellitus.