title: Epidemiology of microalbuminuria in type 1 diabetic patients (IDDM) in the Antwerp University Hospital.
abstract: Diabetic nephropathy is the most important cause of increased morbidity and premature mortality in patients with insulin dependent diabetes mellitus. Several longitudinal studies done in different countries have shown that microalbuminuria strongly predicts the development of diabetic nephropathy in insulin dependent diabetes mellitus. Very few data are available about the situation in Belgium. In a retrospective study we analysed the data of 271 insulin dependent diabetic patients attending the University Hospital of Antwerp during the year 1994. Normoalbuminuria was defined as a urinary albumin excretion rate of < or = 20 micrograms/min, microalbuminuria as 20-200 micrograms/min and macroalbuminuria as > 200 micrograms/min. In our population we find an overall prevalence of microalbuminuria of 14%. Patients with microalbuminuria are characterised by an earlier onset and a longer duration of diabetes when compared with patients with normoalbuminuria. Further we find that they have a worse glycemic control, a higher frequency of raised arterial blood pressure and a higher percentage of proliferative retinopathy. These data are comparable with those from other studies done in different countries. They show that patients with microalbuminuria should be regarded as a high risk group and therefore urinary albumin excretion rate should be monitored routinely. Also they stress the importance to strive to a good metabolic control and to an aggressive treatment of arterial hypertension.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Universitair Zickenhuis Antwerpen, Edegem.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bouten
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Engelen
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: De Leeuw
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000419:Albuminuria / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001437:Bacteriuria / Q000652:urine; D001530:Belgium / Q000453:epidemiology; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000150:complications*; D003928:Diabetic Nephropathies / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000175:diagnosis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin