Urine-albumin and creatinine ratio among apparently healthy individual in South Eastern, Nigeria

Background: Albuminuria and Albumin-Creatinine Ratio (ACR) has been identified as early indices of cardiovascular diseases (CVD), Hypertension and are at great risk of hypertensive nephropathy, but this not so for the apparently healthy individuals.

Objectives: This study was therefore carried out to evaluate and quantitate albuminuria and urine ACR among apparently healthy individual and to compare values with the hypertensive attending University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Ituku-Ozalla Enugu State.

Materials and method: The study was carried out on eighty-nine (89) volunteers (50 tests and 39 controls) age 21-77 years between August and September 2019. A structured questionnaire was used to get vital information, anthropometric measurements were taken while blood and urine samples were collected and analyzed for serum creatinine (Scr), urine creatinine (UCr) and urine albumin using Jaffe modified kinetic method and Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) method respectively. Body mass index (BMI) in Kg/m2, urine ACR in mg/mmol and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) using Chronic Disease Epidemiology Equation were calculated. Data were analyzed using student’s T-test and one-way Analysis of variance (ANOVA).

Results: Generally, results showed that males have higher (p<0.05) height, Scr, eGFR, and UCr but lower (p<0.05) BMI) when compared with the females, but no significant difference (P>0.05) between systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic BP (DBP), pulse, weight, urine albumin and ACR. Also, the study revealed that the test subjects have higher SBP, DBP, weight, BMI, SCr, urine albumin, and ACR but lower (p<0.05) eGFR and UCr when compared with the control subjects, but no significant difference (P>0.05) between pulse and height. Furthermore, intra gender analysis of the results showed that males tests have higher SBP, DBP, weight, BMI and urine ACR but lower (p<0.05) eGFR and UCr when compared with male controls, but no significant difference (P>0.05) was observed for pulse, height, Scr and urine albumin. Finally, the results showed that female tests have higher (P<0.05) SBP, pulse, Scr, urine albumin and ACR but lower (p<0.05) eGFR when compared with the female controls

Conclusion: Findings and results from this study suggest that the hypertensives stand a higher risk of kidney damage, consequently cardiovascular disease (CVD).