Elevated Brachial-Ankle Pulse Wave Velocity Is Independently Associated with Microalbuminuria in a Rural Population

Abstract

Microalbuminuria is a marker of generalized endothelial dysfunction resulting from arterialstiffness or insulin resistance, and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) is a goodmeasure of arterial stiffness. We aimed to investigate whether elevated baPWV isindependently associated with microalbuminuria. This study included 1,648 individualsaged over 40 who participated in the baseline Multi-Rural Cohort Study conducted inKorean rural communities between 2005 and 2006. Participants were classified into lessthan 30 mg/g as normoalbuminuria or 30-300 mg/g as microalbuminuriausing urinaryalbumin creatinine ratio (UACR). The median and Q1-Q3 baPWV values were significantlyhigher in the microalbuminuric group both in men (1,538, 1,370-1,777 cm/s vs. 1,776,1,552-2,027 cm/s, P < 0.001) and women (1,461, 1,271-1,687 cm/s vs. 1,645, 1,473-1,915 cm/s, P < 0.001). BaPWV was independently associated with microalbuminuria inboth genders after adjusting for pulse rate; fasting blood glucose; triglyceride; homeostaticmodel assessment insulin resistance (HOMAIR) and, history of hypertension and diabetes.Fasting blood sugar and HOMAIR were judged as having nothing to do with multicolinearity(r = 0.532, P < 0.001). Elevated baPWV was independently associated withmicroalbuminuria regardless of insulin resistance among rural subjects over 40 yr.