The Association between Albuminuria and Peripheral Arterial Disease in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus / 대한내과학회지

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Albuminuria is an early indicator of renal damage in type 2 diabetes mellitus, and has been recognized as a risk factor for peripheral arterial disease (PAD). The aim of this study was to assess the association between albuminuria and PAD in Korean type 2 diabetes patients. METHODS: Our retrospective study included 390 consecutive patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. The ankle-brachial index (ABI) and toe-brachial index (TBI) were used to assess PAD. The urinary albumin-creatinine excretion ratio (UAE) was evaluated by determining the albumin/creatinine ratio (ACR) in the first voided morning urine sample. RESULTS: Duration of diabetes, serum creatinine levels, and UAE were significantly higher in patients with low ABI scores ( or = 0.9). Age, duration of diabetes, and UAE were significantly higher in patients with low TBI scores ( or = 0.6). Albuminuria was independently associated with low ABI (OR = 1.980, 95% CI = 1.001-3.918). It was also independently associated with low TBI and normal ABI (OR = 3.149, 95% CI = 1.260-7.871). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that albuminuria may be associated with PAD, including in arteries distal to the ankle joint.