URINARY ALBUMIN EXCRETION IN A POPULATION-BASED SAMPLE OF 1011 MIDDLE-AGED NONDIABETIC SUBJECTS

Increased urinary albumin excretion rate (UAER) especially in the rang e of 20-200 mu g min(-1), termed microalbuminuria, has been proposed a s a risk marker and predictor for cardiovascular disease in non-diabet ic subjects. Thus it would be of importance to describe the distributi on of UAER in the nondiabetic population. Among 1011 30-70-year-old su bjects without diabetes mellitus or urinary tract infection, who were invited to participate in a population based epidemiological study, th e albumin concentration was measured in an overnight urine sample. The measurement was performed by an ELISA method. The UAER was calculated in units of mu g min(-1) as urinary albumin concentration x urine vol ume/urine collection time. The distribution of UAER was positively ske wed with a median value of 2.3 mu g min(-1) and a 5-95 interpercentile range of 0-11.0 mu g min(-1). The UAER held constant with age, but ma les had higher UAER than females, 2.6 (0-13.5)mu g min(-1) vs 2.2 (0-8 .3) mu g min(-1); p<0.005. The prevalence of microalbuminuria, defined as an UAER in the range of 15-150 mu g min(-1) in an overnight urine sample, was 3% (95% C.I. interval: 1.9-4.0). These findings suggest, t hat the level of UAER which might notify increased cardiovascular risk , is lower than in patients with diabetes mellitus, if it is considere d to be of any clinical relevance.