PREVALENCE OF MICROALBUMINURIA IN SAUDI-ARABIANS WITH NON-INSULIN-DEPENDENT DIABETES-MELLITUS - A CLINIC-BASED STUDY

Prevalence of diabetic nephropathy varies in different racial groups, being especially high in communities that have abandoned an active tra ditional living and embraced a modern but sedentary life-style. As a n ew and rapidly developing country, Saudi Arabia has witnessed impressi ve changes in socio-economic growth and development and concurrently, a disturbing trend in non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). These observations therefore prompted us to investigate the prevalenc e of microalbuminuria among Saudi Arabians with NIDDM. Two hundred and eleven patients attending a large Diabetic Clinic in Riyadh were scre ened for microalbuminuria (30-300 mg/24 h). Twenty-seven subjects had clinical proteinuria (dipstick-positive) and were excluded, leaving 18 4 cases for analysis. Seventy-six subjects (76/184, 41.3%) had microal buminuria. These subjects had higher fasting plasma glucose concentrat ions (P=0.002) and greater body mass index (P=0.049) than subjects wit h normal albumin excretion rate (<30 mg/24 h). There were no significa nt differences between subjects with and without microalbuminuria with regards to fasting total plasma cholesterol and triglycerides concent rations, frequency of hypertension, duration of diabetes or type of th erapy for diabetes. I multivariate analysis, glycaemia (P<0.005) and y ears since diagnosis of diabetes (P=0.05) remained independently assoc iated with albumin excretion rate. We conclude that microalbuminuria i s exceedingly common in a clinic-based population of Saudi Arabians wi th NIDDM and its presence is closely related to glycaemic control. Whe ther the prevalence of microalbuminuria is truly increased in the diab etic population at large in Saudi Arabia must now await further popula tion-based studies.