Presence of Cardiometabolic Risk Factors Is Not Associated with Microalbuminuria in 14-to-20-Years Old Slovak Adolescents: A Cross-Sectional, Population Study

Introduction

In adults, microalbuminuria indicates generalized endothelial dysfunction, and isan independent risk factor for cardiovascular and all cause mortality. Slovakadults present one of the highest cardiovascular mortality rates in Europe. ThusSlovak adolescents are on a high-risk to develop cardiovascular afflictions early,and screening for microalbuminuria might be useful in early assessment of theircardiovascular risk. We aimed to study the prevalence of microalbuminuria inSlovak adolescents, and the association of urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio(ACR) to cardiovascular risk factors.

Subjects and methods

Anthropometric data, blood pressure, blood count, glucose homeostasis, lipidprofile, renal function, inflammatory status, concentrations of homocysteine anduric acid were determined and associated with ACR in 2 666 adolescents (49.4%boys, 51.6% girls) aged 14-to-20 years. Microalbuminuria was classified as ACR2.5–25.0 mg/mmol in boys and 3.5–35.0 mg/mmol in girls.

Results

Prevalence of microalbuminuria in both genders reached 3.3%, and did not differsignificantly between lean and centrally obese subjects. Girls presented higherACR than boys (normoalbuminuric: 0.6±0.5 mg/mmol vs. 0.5±0.4mg/mmol, p>0.001; microalbuminuric: 9.3±7.3 mg/mmol vs.5.0±3.8 mg/mmol; p>0.001). Microalbuminuric adolescents and thosepresenting normoalbuminuria within the upper ACR quartile were slimmer than theirnormoalbuminuric counterparts or adolescents with normoalbuminuria within thelower quartile, respectively. No association between microalbuminuria andcardiovascular risk markers was revealed.

Conclusion

Results obtained in this study do not support our assumption that ACR associateswith cardiometabolic risk factors in apparently healthy adolescents. Follow-upstudies until adulthood are needed to estimate the potential cardiometabolic riskof apparently healthy microalbuminuric adolescents.