MICROALBUMINURIA - PROGNOSTIC AND THERAPEUTIC IMPLICATIONS IN DIABETIC AND HYPERTENSIVE PREGNANCY

Microalbuminuria is defined as urinary excretion of albumin that is pe rsistently above normal, although below the sensitivity of conventiona l semiquantative test strips. Several studies have reported that Type 1 diabetic patients with microalbuminuria are apparently more likely t o develop diabetic nephropathy eventually progressing to renal failure . Microalbuminuria is also a strong predictor of mortality in Type 2 d iabetes, and is correlated with increased blood pressure in patients w ith benign essential hypertension. Radioimmunoassay revealed a signifi cantly higher urinary albumin excretion rate in normal pregnant women in the third trimester of pregnancy, compared to the second and first, and compared to non-pregnant women. Microalbuminuria was found in 30% of women who had a record of gestational diabetes mellitus. Published results are controversial regarding the assumption that microalbuminu ria is an early predictor of pregnancy-induced hypertensive complicati ons.