This study was undertaken to clarify whether antihypertensive treatment has any effect on the rate of progression of kidney disease in patients with incipient diabetic nephropathy. Six insulin-dependent diabetic men with incipient nephropathy (urinary albumin excretion above 15 micrograms/min and total protein excretion below 0.5 g/24 h) were first given metoprolol (200 mg daily) with the subsequent addition of hydroflumethiazide. At the start of antihypertensive treatment, mean patient age was 32 +/- 4.2 years (SD) and mean duration of diabetes was 18 +/- 1.2 years. The patients were followed with repeated measurements of urinary albumin excretion for a mean of 5.4 +/- 3.1 years prior to, and for 4.7 +/- 1.3 years (SD) during treatment. Mean arterial blood pressure declined significantly during treatment, e.g., the values at 6 months before initiation of treatment being compared with values during the last 6 months of treatment fell from 107 mmHg +/- 7.6 to 93 +/- 3.8 (2p = 1.5%). Albumin excretion decreased from 131.0 micrograms/min X/divided by 2.9 (geometric mean X/divided by tolerance factor) to 41.7 micrograms/min X/divided by 2.9 (2p = 1.2%). Albumin clearance in per cent of glomerular filtration rate decreased from a mean of 0.0030 +/- 0.0019% (SD) to 0.0011 +/- 0.0010% (2p = 4.6%). The mean yearly increase in urinary albumin excretion before treatment was 18.0 +/- 17.0% (mean +/- SD); during treatment urinary albumin excretion decreased 19 +/- 10% per year (2p = 0.7%). No changes were seen in renal plasma flow (516 +/- 31.0 ml/min to 520 +/- 66 ml/min (n = 5)).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)