title: Microalbuminuria and its Association with Subclinical Atherosclerosis in the Mexican Mestizo population: the GEA study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Microalbuminuria is an early marker of atherosclerosis. Ethnic differences for both conditions have been reported. We studied microalbuminuria prevalence and its association with coronary artery calcification as an early atherosclerosis marker in a Mexican-Mestizo population free of diabetes and hypertension (healthy), as well as in hypertensive and diabetic subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  In 1,472 adults (53.3 ± 9.4 years old, 50.3% women), anthropometric measurements, fasting blood glucose, and lipid profile were determined. A spot urine sample was used to quantify the albumin-to-creatinine ratio and to define microalbuminuria (20-200 mg/g in men, and 30-300 mg/g in women). A coronary artery calcification score was obtained by electron-beam computed tomography and subclinical atherosclerosis was defined as a score > 0.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall microalbuminuria prevalence was 9.3% (5.4% in healthy, 11.6% in obese, 12% in hypertensive, and 25% in diabetic subjects). Compared to "healthy" subjects without microalbuminuria, those with microalbuminuria had a ∼3-fold higher prevalence of coronary artery calcification > 0, while normal-high albumin-to-creatinine ratio (OR: 1.8; p < 0.05) and microalbuminuria (OR: 2.6; p < 0.001) was independently associated with coronary artery calcification > 0 only among diabetic subjects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Microalbuminuria and high-normal albumin-to-creatinine ratio were independently associated with subclinical atherosclerosis, suggesting that they may confer a higher risk of future cardiovascular events.
authors.affiliation: Endocrinology Department, Instituto Nacional de Cardiología Ignacio Chávez, Mexico City, Mexico.
authors.forename: Aida
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Medina-Urrutia
authors.affiliation: Endocrinology Department, Instituto Nacional de Cardiología Ignacio Chávez, Mexico City, Mexico.
authors.forename: Juan Gabriel
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Juárez-Rojas
authors.affiliation: Endocrinology Department, Instituto Nacional de Cardiología Ignacio Chávez, Mexico City, Mexico.
authors.forename: Rosalinda
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Posadas-Sánchez
authors.affiliation: Endocrinology Department, Instituto Nacional de Cardiología Ignacio Chávez, Mexico City, Mexico.
authors.forename: Esteban
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Jorge-Galarza
authors.affiliation: Endocrinology Department, Instituto Nacional de Cardiología Ignacio Chávez, Mexico City, Mexico.
authors.forename: Guillermo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cardoso-Saldaña
authors.affiliation: Molecular Biology Department, Instituto Nacional de Cardiología Ignacio Chávez, Mexico City, Mexico.
authors.forename: Gilberto
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vargas-Alarcón
authors.affiliation: Endocrinology Department, Instituto Nacional de Cardiología Ignacio Chávez, Mexico City, Mexico.
authors.forename: Rocío
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Martínez-Alvarado
authors.affiliation: Endocrinology Department, Instituto Nacional de Cardiología Ignacio Chávez, Mexico City, Mexico.
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Posadas-Romero
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000419:Albuminuria / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology / Q000209:etiology*; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology / Q000473:pathology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology / Q000473:pathology*; D003404:Creatinine / Q000652:urine; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D003404:Creatinine