Microalbuminuria in Nondiabetic and Nonhypertensive Systolic Heart Failure Patients

The American Diabetes Association and the National Kidney Foundation define microalbuminuria as an albumin (microg)/creatinine (mg) ratio (ACR) between 30 and 300 microg/mg regardless of sex. Microalbuminuria is associated with increased cardiovascular risk. The authors evaluated the prevalence of microalbuminuria in nondiabetic and nonhypertensive systolic heart failure (SHF) patients. Twenty-seven SHF patients, 18 years and older, with New York Heart Association functional classes II through IV and left ventricular ejection fraction < or =40%, who were nondiabetic and nonhypertensive and not receiving angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, were selected. Twenty-seven healthy individuals, paired according to sex, ethnicity, and age, were used as controls. Early-morning midstream urine was used. Data are expressed as medians. Excretion of albumin in SHF patients (39 microg/mL urine) was significantly higher than in controls (26 microg/mL urine). Creatinine excretion was not significantly different between patients and controls. ACR was significantly higher in patients (54 microg/mg) than in controls (24 microg/mg). The results indicate that microalbuminuria was significantly present in nondiabetic and nonhypertensive SHF patients.