Prevalence of Microalbuminuria and its Correlation to Target Organ Damage

The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence and relation between urinary albumin excretion (UAE) and target organ damage (Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), retinopathy and stroke) in patients with essential Hypertension. We evaluated 120 patients of essential hypertension (HT), prevalence of UAE, and its correlation to target organ damage (TOD) were determined. UAE was assessed according to albumin creatinine ratio (ACR) and microalbuminuria (MA) was defined as albumin excretion between 30 300 mg/g. The overall prevalence of MA in our study was found to be 57.7 %. Target organ damage in the form of LVH, retinopathy and stroke was present in 75 (62.5 %) patients, out of which 59 (78.66%) patients had MA. This difference was found to be highly significant. MA was found to be more prevalent in patients with longer duration and greater severity of HT, increased body mass index (BMI) and dyslipidaemia.