THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MICROALBUMINURIA IN FIRST-GENERATION DIABETIC AND NONDIABETIC SUBJECTS AND MICROALBUMINURIA AND HYPERTENSION IN THE 2ND-GENERATION (A POPULATION-BASED STUDY)

Background. Predisposition to hypertension has been proposed as a risk factor for development of diabetic nephropathy and hypertension. The aim of this study was to examine a possible relation between microalbu minuria (urinary albumin excretion (UAE) 20-200 mu g/min) in diabetic and non-diabetic subjects and microalbuminuria as well as hypertension in the next generation. Methods. We examined 280 non-diabetic subject s in a cross sectional study (mean age 47-48 years). 136 were first bo rn offspring of non insulin dependent diabetic (NIDDM) patients and 14 4 were first born offspring of non-diabetic controls. Hypertension was defined as systolic blood pressure > 140 mmHg, and/or diastolic blood pressure > 90mmHg, and/or the presence of antihypertensive medication s. Data were analysed by multiple logistic regression. Results. We fou nd that parental microalbuminuria was not predictive for microalbuminu ria in the second generation in this population at the time of follow- up. However, microalbuminuria was predictive for hypertension in the s econd generation of diabetic patients, Odds ratio (OR) = 2.5, P = 0.05 when adjusted for age, gender, smoking, and obesity. In offspring of non-diabetic persons parental microalbuminuria also increased the risk of hypertension in the offspring generation, OR = 3.7, P = 0.02. Obes ity was the strongest predictor for microalbuminuria and for hypertens ion in offspring of diabetic patient and of non-diabetic persons. Conc lusion. We found a significant relation between microalbuminuria in th e parental generation and hypertension in the offspring both of a diab etic population and of a non-diabetic population.