Low-grade albuminuria is associated with peripheral artery disease in Chinese diabetic patients.
BACKGROUND
Increasing studies have suggested that albuminuria might be an important risk factor for peripheral artery disease (PAD). However, studies focusing on the association between low-grade albuminuria and PAD are limited. It would be of great interest to elucidate the association between low-grade albuminuria and PAD in diabetic subjects.


METHODS
A cross-sectional study was conducted in 1386 diabetic subjects (age ≥ 40 years) with normal urinary albumin levels from Shanghai, China. A first voided early morning spot urine sample was obtained for urinary albumin and creatinine measurements. Subjects were divided into three groups according to sex-specific cutoff points of urinary albumin-creatinine ratio (UACR) tertiles. Subjects in the upper tertile of UACR were classified as having low-grade albuminuria. PAD was defined by ankle-brachial index (ABI) <0.9 or >1.4.


RESULTS
Overall, 106 (7.7%) of the study population had PAD. The prevalence of PAD in tertile 3 of UACR was higher than the prevalence in tertile 2 and tertile 1 (10.2%, 6.4% and 6.4%, respectively; P < 0.05). A fully adjusted logistic regression analysis revealed that compared with subjects in tertile 1 of normal UACR, those in tertile 3 had 1.7-fold increased risk for the presence of PAD.


CONCLUSIONS
In diabetic patients, high normal UACR level, which is below the current cutoff point of microalbuminuria, was associated with the increased prevalence of PAD. It suggested that low-grade albuminuria might be an early marker for the detection of PAD in diabetic patients.
Key Laboratory for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases of Ministry of Health, Rui-Jin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, E-Institute of Shanghai Universities, Shanghai 200025, China; Shanghai Clinical Center for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Rui-Jin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China.
Baihui
B
Xu
Key Laboratory for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases of Ministry of Health, Rui-Jin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, E-Institute of Shanghai Universities, Shanghai 200025, China; Shanghai Clinical Center for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Rui-Jin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China.
Meng
M
Dai
Key Laboratory for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases of Ministry of Health, Rui-Jin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, E-Institute of Shanghai Universities, Shanghai 200025, China; Shanghai Clinical Center for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Rui-Jin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China.
Mian
M
Li
Key Laboratory for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases of Ministry of Health, Rui-Jin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, E-Institute of Shanghai Universities, Shanghai 200025, China; Shanghai Clinical Center for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Rui-Jin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China.
Kan
K
Sun
Key Laboratory for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases of Ministry of Health, Rui-Jin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, E-Institute of Shanghai Universities, Shanghai 200025, China; Shanghai Clinical Center for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Rui-Jin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China.
Jie
J
Zhang
Key Laboratory for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases of Ministry of Health, Rui-Jin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, E-Institute of Shanghai Universities, Shanghai 200025, China; Shanghai Clinical Center for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Rui-Jin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China.
Tiange
T
Wang
Key Laboratory for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases of Ministry of Health, Rui-Jin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, E-Institute of Shanghai Universities, Shanghai 200025, China; Shanghai Clinical Center for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Rui-Jin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China.
Jichao
J
Sun
Key Laboratory for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases of Ministry of Health, Rui-Jin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, E-Institute of Shanghai Universities, Shanghai 200025, China; Shanghai Clinical Center for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Rui-Jin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China.
Yuhong
Y
Chen
Key Laboratory for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases of Ministry of Health, Rui-Jin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, E-Institute of Shanghai Universities, Shanghai 200025, China; Shanghai Clinical Center for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Rui-Jin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China.
Min
M
Xu
Key Laboratory for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases of Ministry of Health, Rui-Jin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, E-Institute of Shanghai Universities, Shanghai 200025, China; Shanghai Clinical Center for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Rui-Jin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China.
Jieli
J
Lu
Key Laboratory for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases of Ministry of Health, Rui-Jin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, E-Institute of Shanghai Universities, Shanghai 200025, China; Shanghai Clinical Center for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Rui-Jin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China. Electronic address: byf10784@rjh.com.cn.
Yufang
Y
Bi
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000419:Albuminuria / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D055109:Ankle Brachial Index; D044466:Asian People; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D002681:China; D003404:Creatinine / Q000652:urine; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D048909:Diabetes Complications / Q000652:urine; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000652:urine*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D058729:Peripheral Arterial Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000652:urine*; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D001786:Blood Glucose; D003404:Creatinine
Diabetic patients; Low-grade albuminuria; Peripheral artery disease