title: Microalbuminuria in relation to the metabolic syndrome and its components in a Chinese population.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We investigated the prevalence of microalbuminuria and its association with the metabolic syndrome and its components in a Chinese population.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study subjects were recruited from a newly established residential area in the suburb of Shanghai. We measured anthropometry, blood pressure (BP), fasting plasma glucose, and serum lipids, and collected spot urine samples for the determination of albumin-creatinine ratio. We defined microalbuminuria as a urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio of 30 to 299 mg/g. The metabolic syndrome was defined according to the International Diabetes Federation criteria.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 1079 participants included 410 (38.0%) hypertensive patients, and 66 (6.1%) diabetic patients. The prevalence of microalbuminuria (4.3%) was 3.2 times higher in 167 patients with the metabolic syndrome than 912 subjects without the metabolic syndrome (12.0% vs. 2.9%, P < 0.0001). In multiple regression adjusted for sex, age, body mass index, current smoking, alcohol intake and the use of antihypertensive drugs, and mutually adjusted for the components, microalbuminuria was significantly associated with diastolic BP (odds ratio 1.74 for +10 mmHg; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.10-2.76; P = 0.02) and fasting plasma glucose (1.18; 95% CI 1.01-1.41; P = 0.04), but not with waist circumference, systolic BP, or serum HDL cholesterol and triglycerides (P > 0.10).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Microalbuminuria is common in the Chinese population, and much more prevalent in the presence of the metabolic syndrome, mainly attributable to elevated diastolic BP and plasma glucose.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Epidemiological Studies and Clinical Trials, Ruijin Hospital, The Shanghai Institute of Hypertension, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China. jiguangw@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Chang-Sheng
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Sheng
authors.forename: Bang-Chuan
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Wang-Xiang
authors.initials: WX
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zou
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Ji-Guang
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Wang