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Abstract
Microalbuminuria has been shown to be an independent predictor of cardiovascular disease
in different populations. However, the underlying pathophysiological mechanism behind
this observation is not known. The purpose of the present cross-sectional study was
to examine the relation of microalbuminuria to intima-media thickness (IMT) of the
common carotid artery in a group of 368 clinically healthy 58-year old men. Urinary
albumin excretion (UAE) and IMT of the common carotid artery were measured. Body mass
index, WHR, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, heart rate, High-density lipoprotein
(HDL) cholesterol and common carotid artery IMT were associated with UAE. A stepwise
forward multiple regression showed that systolic blood pressure and WHR could explain
10.4% of the variability in log UAE (systolic blood pressure beta-coefficient 0.0047,
SE 0.001, P<0.001; WHR beta-coefficient 0.93, SE 0.30, P=0.002). In conclusion, UAE
was significantly associated with IMT of the common carotid artery in clinically healthy
men. However, after adjustment for systolic blood pressure and WHR this association
was not significant. We suggest that microalbuminuria in healthy subjects is not primarily
associated with atherosclerosis but rather to blood pressure and abdominal obesity.