PREVALENCE OF MICROALBUMINURIA IN NON-DIABETIC HYPERTENSIVE PATIENTS AND ITS ASSOCIATION WITH LEFT VENTRICULAR HYPERTROPHY IN A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL

Dr. Mohan Kashinkunti and Dr. Aneesh T.*

ABSTRACT

Introduction: - Essential hypertension is one of the commonest medical problems in the general population and is one of the most important modifiable cardiovascular risk factors. Left ventricular hypertrophy also has a prognostic value in patients with Hypertension that strongly correlates with adverse cardiovascular outcome. Microalbuminuria is a state of increased vascular permeability particularly in the kidney. It is an easily measured marker of endothelial dysfunction and low grade inflammation. This study was designed to determine whether an association exists between urine microalbumin and left ventricular hypertrophy in non-diabetic hypertensive patients. Aim: - To study the prevalence of microalbuminuria in non-diabetic hypertensive patients and determine the relationship between microalbuminuria and left ventricular hypertrophy. Methods: - 120 non-diabetic, hypertensive patients aged more than 30 years who attended General Medicine outpatient clinic and who were admitted during the study period were enrolled in this prospective study. Results: - The mean age of the study population was 55.15±10.17 years, with most patients aged between 51-60 years. 55% of the patients showed evidence of left ventricular hypertrophy, among these patients 85.67% of them had microalbuminuria. In this study, majority of the patients (60%) had stage 2 hypertension, as the severity of hypertension at presentation increased, prevalence of microalbuminuria also increased and this correlation was statistically significant. Conclusion: - This study demonstrates a high prevalence of microalbuminuria and Left ventricular hypertrophy which are independent predictors of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in patients with essential hypertension. Screening for urine albumin excretion should be extensively adopted in clinical care as it is a relatively simple, readily available and cost effective test especially in resource limited settings where ECHO services are not readily available.

Keywords: Hypertension, Left ventricular hypertrophy, microalbuminuria, cardiovascular disease.