Microalbuminuria and associated clinical features among Brazilians with insulin dependent diabetes mellitus

With the objective to determine the frequency of microalbuminuria, macroalbuminuria and the associated clinic and metabolic features among insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) Brazilian patients attending at a general University Hospital, a total of 50 outpatients, aged 21.9 +/- 7 years with IDDM duration of 6.8 +/- 5.8 years were studied cross-sectionally. Urinary albumin excretion rate (AER) was determined in timed overnight urine samples. Microalbuminuria was defined when two out of three urine samples had AER ranging 20-200 mu g/min. Microalbuminuria was present in 12% of our patients. No macroalbuminuric patient was found. Among patients with diabetes duration less than or equal to 5 years (n = 24), 8,3% (n = 2) had microalbuminuria. Retinopathy was strongly associated with microalbuminuria (P = 0.004) although no proliferative retinopathy was noted. No difference was observed concerning FBG and HBA1 between normo and microalbuminuric patients. Univariate analysis has revealed no influence of these variables in AER. Systolic blood pressure (sBP) was high in microalbuminuric patients and stepwise multiple regression analysis has shown that it was the only significant independent variable to influence AER. (R = 0.42 r(2) = 0.18 P = 0.002). In conclusion, the frequency of microalbuminuria in this sample of IDDM Brazilian patients was similar to other populational groups and was associated with retinopathy and sBP. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd.