title: Microalbuminuria: a strong predictor of 3-year adverse prognosis in nondiabetic patients with acute myocardial infarction.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study is to evaluate the significance of microalbuminuria (MA) as a 3-year prognostic index in nondiabetic patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI).
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred seventy-five patients with AMI were followed prospectively for 3 years. The study end point was cardiac death or rehospitalization for an acute coronary event.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-two patients (24%) developed a new cardiac event during the follow-up. Microalbuminuria (P < .001), pulmonary edema during initial hospitalization (P < .001) and postinfarction angina (P = .0364), advanced age (P = .001), severe atherosclerosis (high Gensini score) (P = .036), ejection fraction <50% (P = .0013), history of bypass surgery (P = .0265), and early conservative management (P = .0214) were all associated with adverse prognosis. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis showed that MA was an independent predictor of 3-year adverse prognosis in all the models tested, with an adjusted relative risk for the development of a cardiac event ranging from 2.1 to 4.3.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In nondiabetic patients with AMI, MA is a strong and independent predictor of an adverse cardiac event within the next 3 years.
authors.affiliation: 1st Cardiology Department, Evangelismos Hospital, Athens, Greece. skoulouris@ath.forthnet.gr
authors.forename: Spyridon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Koulouris
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Lekatsas
authors.forename: Ilias
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Karabinos
authors.forename: Georgios
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ioannidis
authors.forename: Theofanis
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Katostaras
authors.forename: Athanasios
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kranidis
authors.forename: Konstantinos
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Triantafillou
authors.forename: Nikolaos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Thalassinos
authors.forename: Lambros
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Anthopoulos
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000419:Albuminuria / Q000652:urine*; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality* / Q000652:urine*; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors