Study of microalbuminuria and asymptomatic cerebrovascular damage in patients with essential hypertension

Objective To explore the relationship between microalbuminuria(MAU) and asymptomatic cerebrovascular damage and carotid atherosclerosis in patients with essential hypertension(EH).Methods According to 24-hour urine albumin excretion rate(UAER),162 patients were divided into two groups:normal albuminuria group(NAU) and MAU group.Carotid intima-media thickness(IMT) and atherosclerotic plaque were measured by high-frequency Doppler ultrasound,lacunar infarction was assessed by MRI.Logistic regression analysis was used to identify the risk factors concerned with thickening of carotid IMT and incidence of lacunar infarction.Results The prevalence of MAU in 162 patients was 37.7%.Compared with NAU group,carotid IMT was significantly thicker [(1.00±0.26) mm vs(0.86±0.20) mm,P 0.01 ] and the incidence of lacunar infarction(62.3% vs 44.6%,P0.05) was significantly higher in MAU group.Logistic regression analysis showed that MAU was independently associated with the thickening of carotid IMT and lacunar infarction,the OR was 2.639(95%CI:1.240-5.615,P0.05) and 2.369(95%CI:1.156-4.856,P0.05) respectively when other risk factors were controlled.Conclusion MAU is an indicator for lacunar infarction and thickening of carotid IMT,and can be used as an early index to identify asymptomatic cerebrovascular damage and carotid atherosclerosis.