title: Diabetes mellitus, hypertension and albuminuria in rural Zambia: a hospital-based survey.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess albuminuria in rural Zambia among patients with diabetes mellitus only (DM group), hypertension only (HTN group) and patients with combined DM and HTN (DM/HTN group).
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional survey was conducted at St. Francis Hospital in the Eastern province of Zambia. Albumin-creatinine ratio in one urine sample was used to assess albuminuria. Other information obtained included age, sex, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), blood pressure (BP), glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c ), random capillary glucose, time since diagnosis, medication and family history of DM or HTN.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 193 participants were included (DM group: n = 33; HTN group: n = 92; DM/HTN group: n = 68). The participants in the DM group used insulin more frequently as diabetes medication than the DM/HTN group (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the DM group was younger and had lower BMI, WC and BP than the two other groups. In the DM group, HTN group and DM/HTN group, microalbuminuria was found in 12.1%, 19.6% and 29.4% (P = 0.11), and macroalbuminuria was found in 0.0%, 3.3% and 13.2% (P = 0.014), respectively. The urine albumin (P = 0.014) and albumin-creatinine ratio (P = 0.0006) differed between the three groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This hospital-based survey in rural Zambia found a lower frequency of albuminuria among the participants than in previous studies of patients with DM or HTN in urban sub-Saharan Africa.
authors.affiliation: Department of International Health, Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Jon B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Rasmussen
authors.affiliation: Department of International Health, Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Jakúp A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Thomsen
authors.affiliation: Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.|Steno Diabetes Center, Gentofte, Denmark.|Faculty of Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rossing
authors.affiliation: Dr. Gray's Hospital, Elgin, UK.|St. Francis' Hospital, Katéte, Zambia.
authors.forename: Shelagh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Parkinson
authors.affiliation: Department of International Health, Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Dirk L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Christensen
authors.affiliation: Department of International Health, Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Ib C
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: Bygbjerg
mesh_terms: D000419:Albuminuria / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000652:urine; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D048909:Diabetes Complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000652:urine; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000652:urine; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000652:urine; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015024:Zambia / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D015415:Biomarkers; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents
keywords: albuminuria; diabetes mellitus; hypertension; macroalbuminuria; microalbuminuria; sub-Saharan Africa