The objective of this study was to evaluate the association of traditional cardiovascular risk factors, adipokines, inflammation and insulin resistance with low-grade urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR) in nondiabetic, healthy subjects.
Material and methods: The study included 117 healthy subjects (64 men and 53 women), who were classified according to their body mass index (BMI) into three groups: lean (BMI<25 kg/m2), overweight (25< or =BMI<30 kg/m2) and obese (BMI> or =30 kg/m2).
Results: ACR was higher in obese men and women compared to overweight and lean men and women (men - 3 mg/g vs. 6.1 mg/g vs. 8.9 mg/g, p=0.018; women - 2.1 mg/g vs. 6.7 mg/g vs. 9.1 mg/g, p=0.03). In univariate analyses ACR was associated in obese men with adiponectin (r=-0.43, p=0.021) and systolic blood pressure (r=0.51, p=0.006) and in non-obese men with systolic blood pressure (r=0.39, p=0.041). In women systolic blood pressure was the only determinant both in obese (r=0.49, p=0.022) and non-obese subjects (r=0.42, p=0.04).
Conclusions: Adiponectin is an important mediator of low-grade albuminuria in obese, non-diabetic men.