Correlation of microalbuminuria with its clinical outcome in pre-hypertensives: a cross-sectional study from South India

Abstract

Background: Prehypertension is a major public health concern. The condition is much prevalent in India and is often associated with other cardiovascular (CV) risk factors and independently increases the risk of hypertension and subsequent cardiovascular events. Several studies have shown microalbuminuria as a sensitive marker for predicting CV risk in pre-hypertensive. The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of microalbuminuria in prehypertension and to determine its association with electrocardiogram (ECG) and echocardiographic (Echo) parameters indicative of CV risk.Methods: This cross-sectional study included a total of 75 subjects aged between 22 and 50 years, with prehypertension attending the medicine department of a tertiary care teaching hospital in Chennai, Tamil Nadu from April 2012 to November 2012. All the study subjects were evaluated with ECG and echo for cardiac changes. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software trial version-16 to determine the association of microalbuminuria with cardiac changes.Results: The prevalence of microalbuminuria among the included subjects was 60%. Mean value of urinary excretion of microalbuminuria was 90±2.1 µg/dl with a male preponderance in this study. Pre-hypertensive subjects with microalbuminuria had significant changes of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) as evident in ECG than those without microalbuminuria. Microalbuminuric prehypertensive subjects also had significant echocardiographic changes like LVH and diastolic dysfunction than those without microalbuminuria.Conclusions: The cardiovascular changes like left ventricular hypertrophy and diastolic dysfunction were evident in younger age among pre-hypertensives with microalbuminuria than those without microalbuminuria.