Independent relationship between microalbuminuria and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 activity (PAI-1) activity in clinically healthy 58-year-old men

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the relationship b etween low-grade albuminuria (microalbuminuria) and factors of the coagulat ion- and fibrinolysis systems in 104 clinically healthy 58-year-old men rec ruited from the general population. Urinary albumin excretion was significa ntly associated with body mass index, systolic and diastolic blood pressure , plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI)-1 activity, tissue plasminogen acti vator (tPA) antigen, tPA activity (negatively) and protein S (P < 0.05). Th ere were no associations between urinary albumin excretion and antithrombin III, fibrinogen, protein C, thrombin/antithrombin factor or von Willebrand factor. In multiple regression analysis urinary albumin excretion was inde pendently and significantly associated with PAI-1 activity and systolic blo od pressure (P < 0.05). In conclusion we report that urinary albumin excret ion was independently and significantly associated with PAI-1 activity in c linically healthy 58-year-old men. This relationship may contribute to the previously reported increased cardiovascular morbidity in subjects with mic roalbuminuria. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.