Prevalence and Clinical Significance of Microalbuminuria in Essential Hypertension

Abstract

Background; The objective of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of microalbuminuria in mild and moderate essential hypertension, and to evaluate any relationship with left ventricular mass, ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) and other cardiovascular risk factors.
Material and methods: 41 patients (16 women and 25 men) aged 18–71, with the history of hypertension 1–30 years (mean 71 months), and with body mass index (BMI) mean 28,8 ± 5,0 kg/m˛ were studied. Urinary albumin excretion, left ventricular mass and ambulatory blood pressure monitoring were evaluated in each patient. We studied untreated patients without overt proteinuria, diabetes, urinary tract infection, and with normal GFR. Urinary albumin excretion (UAE) was determinated by the radioimmunoassay in urine collected within 24 hours during two seperate days.
Results: 24-hour UAE levels in study patients were average 19,70 mg. The percentage of patients with microalbuminuria was 19,5% — mean UAE in this group were 57,83 mg/day. Microalbuminuria was significantly correlated with triglycerides level, left ventricular hypertrophy, office systolic and diastolic blood pressure. The mean LVMI was 121,36 g/m˛ — in 19 subjects (46,3%) left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) was present. LVH was significantly higher in older patients, higher UAE and office and ambulatory SBP.
Conclusion: Increased urinary albumin excretion is associated with recognised cardiovascular risk factors, therefore microalbuminuria in essential hypertension can be regarded as a marker to help indentify patients at higher cardiovascular risk.