Factors associated with impaired urinary albumin excretion in hypertensive individuals: albuminuria and hypertension

Abstract

Albuminuria is well established as a cardiovascular and renal risk factor. This study aimed to analyze factors associated with this condition in 267 hypertensive individuals, stratified according to urinary albumin excretion (UAE) as: G1--130 individuals with normoalbuminuria (24-h UAE<20 μg/min); G2--113 with microalbuminuria (UAE between 20 and 200 μg/min); and G3--24 with macroalbuminuria (UAE≥200 μg/min). There were significant differences among the groups for blood pressure levels, left ventricular mass and index, estimated glomerular filtration rate, serum creatinine, renal dysfunction and diabetes mellitus (p<0.05). Macroalbuminuria was associated with renal dysfunction (OR=5.91; 95% CI: 2.44-14.31; p<0.001) and microalbuminuria with LVH (OR=2.21; 95% CI: 1.27-3.85; p=0.005). The association between UAE with blood pressure levels, diabetes and target-organ damage in hypertensive individuals suggests that adequate control of cardiovascular risk factors should be pursued to decrease morbidity associated with these conditions.