title: Prognostic significance of microalbuminuria in non-diabetic patients with acute myocardial infarction.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study was to examine whether the presence of microalbuminuria (20-200 microg/min) can predict in-hospital morbidity and mortality in non-diabetic patients with acute myocardial infarction.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two hundred twenty-three (172 men and 51 women) non-diabetic patients with acute myocardial infarction were studied prospectively. The main outcome measures of the study were based on a comparison of in-hospital mortality and major non-fatal in-hospital events (pulmonary edema, post-infarction angina, infarct extension, mechanical complications, conduction disturbances and ventricular arrhythmias) between microalbuminuric and normoalbuminuric patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A significant proportion of patients (33.6%) had microalbuminuria. Seventy-six patients (34%) developed an in-hospital event (fatal or non-fatal). Six patients (2.7%) with acute myocardial infarction died in the hospital. Patients with microalbuminuria had a higher mortality rate in comparison with normoalbuminuric patients (6.6% vs. 0.68%, p = 0.01). For non-fatal events, the incidence of pulmonary edema and ventricular arrhythmias was significantly higher in patients with microalbuminuria (14.6% vs. 3.4%, p < 0.001 and 12% vs. 3.4%, p = 0.01, respectively). The combined end-point of the total number of fatal and non-fatal events was significantly higher in patients with microalbuminuria (57.3% vs. 22.3%, p < 0.001). In multiple logistic regression analysis, microalbuminuria (p < 0.001) and ejection fraction (p = 0.01) were independently related to the occurrence of major in-hospital events.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Microalbuminuria is a significant predictor of in-hospital morbidity and mortality in non-diabetic patients with acute myocardial infarction.
authors.affiliation: 1st Department of Cardiology, Evagelismos Hospital, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Lekatsas
authors.forename: Spyridon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Koulouris
authors.forename: Konstantinos
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Triantafyllou
authors.forename: Georgia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chrisanthopoulou
authors.forename: Paraskevi
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Moutsatsou-Ladikou
authors.forename: Georgios
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ioannidis
authors.forename: Nikolaos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Thalassinos
authors.forename: Anastasios
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kalofoutis
authors.forename: Lambros
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Anthopoulos
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000419:Albuminuria / Q000175:diagnosis*; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies