Visceral obesity is associated with higher urinary albumin excretion levels in normoalbuminuric type 2 diabetic patients

Abstract

AIM: To analyze the relationship between visceral obesity and urinary albumin excretion rate (UAER). METHODS: A cross-sectional study of 73 normoalbuminuric (urinary albumin excretion rate < 20 µg/min) type 2 patients was performed. Patients were divided into two groups according to the median of UAER (7.5 µg/min). Office auscultatory blood pressure was measured in sitting position after a 10-min rest. RESULTS: Waist to hip ratio was higher in the group with UAER > 7.0 µg/min (0.98 ± 0.08), when compared to the other group (0.93 ± 0.08, p= 0.01). Waist to hip ratio significantly correlated with UAER (r= 0.28; p= 0.018). In multiple linear regression analysis, only waist to hip ratio was associated with UAER (r= 0.29; p= 0.04). A1c, DM duration and systolic BP levels were excluded from the model. CONCLUSIONS: Type 2 normoalbuminuric diabetic patients with higher levels of UAER could represent a group with an elevated risk for the development of cardiovascular diseases.