title: Urinary albumin excretion rate is independently related to autonomic neuropathy in type 2 diabetes mellitus.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate if urinary albumin excretion rate (UAER) is independently related to subclinical autonomic neuropathy in type 2 diabetes.
  
  
  METHODS
  A controlled cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Primary health care centre.
  
  
  METHODS
  Consecutive recently diagnosed (< 1 year) type 2 diabetic patients (group A, n = 150) and patients with long-standing (median 11 years) type 2 diabetes (group B, n = 146) chosen at random. A nondiabetic control group (group C, n = 150) matched for age and gender to group A.
  
  
  METHODS
  Neuropathy by cardiovascular reflex tests and UAER by nephelometry.
  
  
  METHODS
  Univariate statistics in group A + B (t-test chi 2- or McNemars test) with Valsalva and breathing ratios as categorical grouping variables and the independent variables gender, smoking, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, fasting serum cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, haemoglobin A1c, glucagon stimulated C-peptide, fasting and postload 1 and 2 h blood glucose and serum insulin, UAER, coronary heart disease and congestive heart failure. Logistic regression analyses in group A + B with Valsalva and breathing ratios as dependent categorical variables and age, systolic blood pressure, congestive heart failure, coronary heart disease, fasting blood glucose, serum triglycerides and UAER as independent variables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared to nondiabetic subjects the diabetic patients of both groups were at increased risk of neuropathy as judged by the Valsalva ratio (P < 0.01). In known diabetic patients with a UAER > or = 30 mg 24-1 h neuropathy was more common than amongst their normoalbuminuric counterparts (Valsalva test P = 0.007, breathing test P = 0.02). In logistic regression analysis UAER independently explained abnormal Valsalva (P = 0.015) and breathing tests (P = 0.04) in the group A + B.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  UAER is independently related to subclinical autonomic neuropathy in type 2 diabetes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Tampere University Hospital, Finland. owirta@tays.fi
authors.forename: O R
authors.initials: OR
authors.lastname: Wirta
authors.forename: A I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Pasternack
authors.forename: J T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Mustonen
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Laippala
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Reinikainen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000419:Albuminuria / Q000209:etiology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications*; D003928:Diabetic Nephropathies / Q000150:complications* / Q000209:etiology; D003929:Diabetic Neuropathies / Q000150:complications* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors