Microalbuminuria is common, also in a nondiabetic, nonhypertensive population, and an independent indicator of cardiovascular risk factors and cardiovascular morbidity.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the prevalence of microalbuminuria in the general population, especially in nondiabetic and nonhypertensive subjects, and its association with known cardiovascular risk factors and cardiovascular morbidity.

DESIGN: Cross-sectional cohort study.

SETTING: Inhabitants of the city of Groningen, the Netherlands.

SUBJECTS: All inhabitants, aged between 28 and 75 years, were send a postal questionnaire and a vial to collect an early morning urine sample (n = 85 421). Of these 40 856 subjects (47.8%) responded. Cardiovascular risk factors and morbidity were validated in a well defined nondiabetic and nonhypertensive group of 5241 subjects.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Microalbuminuria, self-reported cardiovascular risk and cardiovascular morbidity in the total study cohort, and additionally more detailed measurements in a subset of the total population.

RESULTS: Microalbuminuria (20-200 mg L-1) was present in 7.2% of the subjects and independently associated with age, gender, hypertension, diabetes, smoking, previous myocardial infarction and stroke. Some of these associations were already observed at albuminuria levels of 10-20 mg L-1. After exclusion of the diabetic and hypertensive subjects, microalbuminuria was still prevalent in 6.6% of the subjects.

CONCLUSIONS: Microalbuminuria appears to be common not only in the general population but also in a nondiabetic, nonhypertensive population and is independently associated with increased cardiovascular risk factors and cardio-vascular morbidity. Importantly, some of these associations are present at urinary albumin levels currently considered to be normal. These findings suggest that urinary albumin measurements may be useful in early risk profiling and prevention of cardiovascular disease in the population at large.