URINARY ALBUMIN EXCRETION IS ASSOCIATED WITH THE INTIMA MEDIA THICKNESS OF THE CAROTID-ARTERY IN HYPERTENSIVE MALES WITH NON-INSULIN-DEPENDENT DIABETES-MELLITUS

Objective: To examine the relationship between urinary albumin excreti on and ultrasonographically assessed morphology of the common carotid artery in hypertensive men with and without non-insulin-dependent diab etes mellitus. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: An outpatient c linic in a city hospital. Patients: Hypertensive male patients (n = 25 ) with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and non-diabetic hypert ensive male patients (n = 94) aged 50-72 years, randomly selected from a larger study group. Main outcome measures: Overnight urinary albumi n excretion and B-mode ultrasound examinations of the carotid artery. Results: Among the diabetic patients the logarithm of the overnight ur inary albumin excretion was independently and significantly associated with the common carotid artery intima-media thickness, which was also true after adjustment for concomitant cardiovascular disease. In the non-diabetic group there was no association between intima-media thick ness and urinary albumin excretion. No relationship between the occurr ence of plaque and urinary albumin excretion was observed in any of th e study groups. The results were reproducible at a re-examination afte r 3 years using the same methods. Conclusion: Among the hypertensive m en with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, an independent and si gnificant relationship, reproducible after 3 years, was found between urinary albumin excretion and the intima-media thickness of the common carotid artery. No such relationship was found in the group of non-di abetic hypertensive males.