Abstract
Microalbuminuria is an early sign of kidney and cardiovascular damage. Therefore, early detection in asymptomatic individuals may be helpful in preventing deterioration in renal function. We carried out a cross-sectional study of 820 secondary school students aged 10 - 19 years from September to November 2008. The urine samples of 615 (75.0%) without overt proteinuria and haematuria were tested for microalbuminuria using the micral test strips. Values of greater than 20mg/L were considered positive. There were 299 (48.6%) males and 316 (51.4%) females, with a M:F ratio of 1:1.1. The prevalence of microalbuminuria as seen in 214 of the students was 33.2%. It was significantly higher in females (45.3%), obese subjects (35.4%), those with hypertension (70.6%), those with positive family history of hypertension (59.5%), and diabetes mellitus (46.4%). Microalbuminuria was found in 1 of the 2 subjects who had features of DM and in one subject with sickle cell anemia. The prevalence of microalbuminuria in Nigerian adolescents is high. We recommend routine screening for microalbuminuria in adolescents for early detection and prevention of renal damage.
Highlights
Microalbuminuria is a subclinical condition that is associated with high morbidity and mortality.[1,2] It is the excretion of very small amounts of albumin in urine, slightly in excess of 20 microgram per minute.[3]
It has been found to be highly prevalent in several disease conditions in adults[2,6], as well as in children and adolescents. 7,8,9,10 The major identified causes of microalbuminuria include diabetes mellitus (DM)[7,11,12], hypertension[1,13], sickle cell anaemia (SCA)[9], Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection[10], and obesity.[14]
The higher prevalence of microalbuminuria in females has been reported among children with sickle cell anaemia (SCA) by Dharnidharka et al[13] in the United States of America (USA)
Summary
Microalbuminuria is a subclinical condition that is associated with high morbidity and mortality.[1,2] It is the excretion of very small amounts of albumin in urine, slightly in excess of 20 microgram per minute (ìg/min).[3]. The prevalence of microalbuminuria in the general population is reported to be 10 – 15%.6. In the Netherlands[1], microalbuminuria was found in 12.1% of apparently healthy adults in the general population. In the United States of America (USA), Jones et al 15 reported a lower prevalence of 7.8% in the general population of children, adolescents, and adults. Microalbuminuria is an early sign of kidney and cardiovascular damage. The prevalence of microalbuminuria as seen in 214 of the students was 33.2%. It was significantly higher in females (45.3%), obese subjects (35.4%), those with hypertension (70.6%), those with positive family history of hypertension (59.5%), and diabetes mellitus (46.4%). We recommend routine screening for microalbuminuria in adolescents for early detection and prevention of renal damage.
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