Microalbuminuria and Risk for Cardiovascular Disease

Abstract

Microalbuminuria is a strong and independent indicator of increased cardiovascular risk among individuals with and without diabetes. Therefore, microalbuminuria can be used for stratification of risk for cardiovascular disease. Once microalbuminuria is present, cardiovascular risk factor reduction should be more "aggressive." The nature of the link between microalbuminuria and cardiovascular risk, however, remains poorly understood. There is no strong evidence that microalbuminuria causes atherothrombosis or that atherothrombosis causes microalbuminuria. Many studies have tested the hypothesis that a common risk factor underlies the association between microalbuminuria and cardiovascular disease but, again, have found no strong evidence in favor of this contention. At present, the most likely possibility is that a common pathophysiologic process, such as endothelial dysfunction, chronic low-grade inflammation, or increased transvascular leakage of macromolecules, underlies the association between microalbuminuria and cardiovascular disease, but more and prospective studies of these hypotheses are needed.

Pentraxin 3 and atherosclerosis among type 2 diabetic patients

“…These authors also find a correlation of plasma PTX3 concentration and albuminuria to be independently associated with carotid intima thickness, which was not confirmed in our study. Elevated UACR is one of the earliest clinically detectable abnormalities in diabetic nephropathy and there is also growing evidence that this can be associated with cardiovascular disease [18]. What is also important, we found a significantly higher plasma PTX3 concentration in male than in females.…”

Prevalence, predictors and prognostic significance of microalbuminuria in acute cardiac patients: a single center experience

“…Microalbuminuria is recognized as a strong and independent indicator of increased cardiovascular risk among subjects with and without diabetes [17], its presence substantially increases the cardiovascular risk, and it is an independent predictor of ischemic heart disease in a population-based cohort [18]. In chronic heart failure, elevated albumin excretion is a powerful prognostic marker for allcause mortality, independent of diabetes, hypertension, or renal function [19].…”

Low Glomerular Filtration Rate Is Associated With High Prevalence of Vasospastic Angina

“…Although microalbuminuria correlates with impaired endothelial function, 32 we did not measure urinary albumin. Therefore, the possibility that some patients with a normal eGFR already had subclinical renal damage cannot be excluded.…”