Microalbuminuria: A potential marker in the assessment of cardiovascular risk

Background: Microalbuminuria is an early marker of renal and cardiovascular damage, but it is underutilized in the management of hyper-tension.

Objective: To investigate the association between microalbuminuria, hypertension severity, left ventricular mass, and ischemic cardiopathy.

Methods: A retrospective study was conducted over six months in the cardiology department of the Cluj Heart Institute, including 54 patients: 34 with essential hypertension and 20 normotensive controls. Microalbuminuria, left ventricular mass, and the presence of ischemic cardiopathy were analyzed in relation to hypertension grade.

Results: Microalbuminuria was present in 20.93% of hypertensive patients, with prevalence increasing to 50% in grade III hypertension. Mean urinary albumin excretion was significantly higher in grade III hypertension compared with controls (57.31 ± 20.27 vs. 5.46 ± 1.33 µg/min, p = 0.0022). Left ventricular mass rose with hypertension severity, being significantly greater in grade II (p = 0.00685) and grade III (p = 0.00086) compared with grade I. No linear correlation was found between microalbuminuria and left ventricular mass. Ischemic cardiopathy was diagnosed in 32.36% of hypertensive patients, but microalbuminuria levels were not significantly different between those with and without ischemic cardiopathy.

Conclusions: Microalbuminuria correlates with hypertension severity and may represent a useful marker for early detection of cardiovascular risk. Routine measurement could support risk stratification and therapeutic decisions in hypertensive patients. Larger studies are warranted to confirm these findings.