Open AccessNew Definition of Microalbuminuria in Hypertensive Subjects
Author(s) -
Klaus Klausen,
Henrik Scharling,
Gorm Boje Jensen,
Jan Skov Jensen
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
hypertension
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.986
H-Index - 265
eISSN - 1524-4563
pISSN - 0194-911X
DOI - 10.1161/01.hyp.0000169153.78459.50
Subject(s) - microalbuminuria , medicine , excretion , blood pressure , population , albuminuria , creatinine , endocrinology , environmental health
Microalbuminuria has so far been defined as urinary albumin excretion between 20 and 200 μg/min (or 15 to 150 μg/min overnight). In a recent report, an overnight urinary albumin excretion >5 μg/min was strongly predictive of coronary heart disease and death in the general population. The aim of the present study was to confirm this observation in a population of hypertensive individuals. In The Third Copenhagen City Heart Study in 1992 to 1994, 1734 men and women aged 30 to 70 years with hypertension, but no history of coronary heat disease, delivered a timed overnight urine sample. They were followed-up prospectively by registers until 2000 with respect to coronary heart disease, and until 2004 with respect to death. During follow-up, 123 incident cases of coronary heart disease and 308 deaths were traced. Incident coronary heart disease occurred in 11% of subjects with urinary albumin excretion ≥5 μg/min compared with 5% in subjects with urinary albumin excretion <5 μg/min (P <0.001). Similarly, the cumulative mortality was 28% versus 13% (P <0.001). The relative risks of coronary heart disease and death associated with urinary albumin excretion ≥5 μg/min were 2.0 (1.4 to 2.9;P <0.001) and 1.9 (1.5 to 2.3;P 5 μg/min. In future risk assessment in hypertensive individuals, measurement of microalbuminuria has to be included.