Abstract

Background: Hypertension is one of the most frequent diagnosis in hospitalized/outpatients in our country with significant morbidity and mortality. Microalbuminuria has important cardiovascular implications in hypertensive patients. It is known to occur independently in diabetes mellitus and hypertension. Microalbuminuria is an independent risk factor of target organ damage like hypertensive retinopathy, abnormality of left ventricular function. It indicates the severity of the disease and has been considered an important prognostic indicator.

Objectives

❖ To observe microalbuminuria in newly diagnosed hypertensives 

❖To study the relationship between microalbuminuria and target organ damage(left ventricular hypertrophy)

Hundred hypertensive cases are evaluated for microalbuminuria. Microalbuminuria was measured in these patients by immunoturbidimetric assay.

Results: Significant microalbuminuria was observed to occur in hypertensive patients. The prevalence of microalbuminuria in this study is 32%. A positive correlation is noted between microalbuminuria and target organ damage. It was observed that there is a significant correlation between the prevalence of microalbuminuria and the presence of LVH (P < 0.05)  in hypertensive patients.

Conclusion: Significant microalbuminuria was found to occur in newly detected hypertensive patients. This positive correlation between microalbuminuria and target organ damage in hypertensive patients calls for further studies with greater sample size.

Keywords: Microalbuminuria; Hypertension; Target organ damage.