Relationship of arterial compliance and blood pressure with microalbuminuria and mildly decreased glomerular filtration rate: a Chinese community-based analysis

Abstract

Objective: This analysis is designed to determine the prevalence of microalbuminuria (MAU) and mildly decreased glomerular filtration rate (GFR); to investigate the association of augmentation index (AIx), central blood pressure (cBP) and peripheral blood pressure (pBP) with MAU and mildly decreased GFR; and to compare the association strength of cBP and pBP with MAU and mildly decreased GFR.

Methods: This community-based analysis included 2071 Chinese residents. Urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR), GFR, and pulse wave measurements were performed. UACR of 30-299 mg/g and GFR of 60-89 ml/min/1.73 m2 were identified as MAU and mildly decreased GFR.

Results: The prevalence of MAU and mildly decreased GFR was 21.3% and 33.2%. The AIx, cBP and pBP were significantly higher in participants with MAU compared with those without MAU, and in participants with mildly decreased GFR compared with those without mildly decreased GFR (all P<0.001). After participants were categorized into four subgroups based on the presence or absence of MAU and mildly decreased GFR, Aix, cBP and pBP progressively increased from the subgroup without both of MAU and mildly decreased GFR to the subgroups with either one of them, and arrived at top in the subgroup with both of them (all P<0.001). Compared with the reference category without MAU and mildly decreased GFR, the odd ratio values significantly increased from the category with either one of MAU and mildly decreased GFR to the category with both of them (all P<0.001). The AIx, cBP and pBP were all independently associated with MAU and mildly decreased GFR after full adjustment (all P<0.05), and the association strength of MAU and mildly decreased GFR with cBP was similar to those with pBP.

Conclusions: In Chinese community-dwelling population, there was a high prevalence of MAU and mildly decreased GFR. The AIx, cBP and pBP were all independently associated with MAU and mildly decreased GFR; meanwhile, cBP did not exhibit stronger association with MAU and mildly decreased GFR compared with pBP.

Figure 1. AIx and BP of the study population categorized into 4 subgroups based on the presence or absence (normal GFR) of mildly decreased GFR and the presence or absence (normal ACR) of MAU.

The difference between subgroups was highly significant (all p<0.001). Abbreviation: AIx: augmentation index; BP: blood pressure; GFR: glomerular filtration rate; ACR: albumin-to-creatinine ratio; MAU: microalbuminuria; SBP: systolic blood pressure.