Racial and Ethnic Differences in Microalbuminuria Prevalence in a Diabetes Population: The Pathways Study
Bessie A. Young*,,,
Wayne J. Katon,
Michael Von Korff||,
Greg E. Simon||,
Elizabeth H. B. Lin||,
Paul S. Ciechanowski,
Terry Bush||,
Malia Oliver||,
Evette J. Ludman|| and
Edward J. Boyko*,
* Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, and Primary and Specialty Medical Care Service, Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System; Epidemiologic Research and Information Center, Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System; Northwest Kidney Centers; Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine; and || Center for Health Studies, Group Health Cooperative, Seattle, Washington
Address correspondence to: Dr. Bessie A. Young, VA Puget Sound Health Care System (152-E), Epidemiologic Research and Information Center, 1660 S. Columbian Way, Seattle, WA 98108. Phone: 206-277-3586; Fax: 206-764-2563; E-mail: youngb{at}u.washington.edu
The objective of this study was to determine whether racialor ethnic differences in prevalence of diabetic microalbuminuriawere observed in a large primary care population in which comparableaccess to health care exists. A cross-sectional analysis ofsurvey and automated laboratory data 2969 primary care diabeticpatients of a large regional health maintenance organizationwas conducted. Study data were analyzed for racial/ethnic differencesin microalbuminuria (30 to 300 mg albumin/g creatinine) andmacroalbuminuria (>300 mg albumin/g creatinine) prevalenceamong diabetes registryidentified patients who completeda survey that assessed demographics, diabetes care, and depression.Computerized pharmacy, hospital, and laboratory data were linkedto survey data for analysis. Racial/ethnic differences in theodds of microalbuminuria and macroalbuminuria were assessedby unconditional logistic regression, stratified by the presenceof hypertension. Among those tested, the unadjusted prevalenceof micro- or macroalbuminuria was 30.9%, which was similar amongthe various racial/ethnic groups. Among those without hypertension,microalbuminuria was twofold greater (odds ratio [OR] 2.01;95% confidence interval [CI] 1.14 to 3.53) and macroalbuminuriawas threefold greater (OR 3.17; 95% CI 1.09 to 9.26) for Asiansas compared with whites. Among those with hypertension, adjustedodds of microalbuminuria were greater for Hispanics (OR 3.82;95% CI 1.16 to 12.57) than whites, whereas adjusted odds ofmacroalbuminuria were threefold greater for blacks (OR 3.32;95% CI 1.26 to 8.76) than for whites. For most racial/ethnicminorities, hypertriglyceridemia was significantly associatedwith greater odds of micro- and macroalbuminuria. Among a largeprimary care population, racial/ethnic differences exist inthe adjusted prevalence of microalbuminuria and macroalbuminuriadepending on hypertension status. In this setting, racial/ethnicdifferences in early diabetic nephropathy were observed despitecomparable access to diabetes care.
Diabetic nephropathy affects 20 to 40% of those who developdiabetes (13) and is associated with enormous morbidity,(4,5) mortality, (5) and health care costs (6). Racial and ethnicdifferences in prevalence and incidence of diabetic nephropathy(5) and diabetic renal failure or ESRD have been well described(57). Compared with whites, the prevalence of diabeticrenal failure is two- to threefold greater in blacks (5,7,8),two-fold greater in Asians, (8) two- to threefold greater inHispanics (9,10), and up to 18-fold greater in Native Americans(11). Microalbuminuria, or "incipient diabetic nephropathy,"is one of the initial clinical manifestations of early diabeticnephropathy (12), but it is unclear whether racial/ethnic differencesexist in the prevalence of microalbuminuria when controllingfor socioeconomic status in a setting where access to healthcare is comparable across racial/ethnic groups.
The limited population-based data describing racial/ethnic differencesin the prevalence and incidence of microalbuminuria suggestthat in the general population, blacks have greater odds ofmicroalbuminuria compared with whites, but data that describeracial/ethnic differences in prevalence of diabetic microalbuminuriaare lacking (5,1315). Reasons for racial/ethnic differencesin diabetic microalbuminuria may include socioeconomic disparities(16), disparities in access to health care (1620), agreater prevalence of diabetes in racial or ethnic minoritycommunities (2126), greater proportion of uncontrolledhypertension in racial/ethnic minorities (16), differences inglycemic control (25), and possible biologic or genetic differences.However, there is controversy about the relative importanceof these factors (2736). Attainment of diabetes careguidelines, particularly those for early testing of urine formicroalbuminuria, remain poor regardless of race or ethnicity(37). Data that compare prevalence of early diabetic nephropathyacross racial/ethnic categories where comparable access to careand diabetes care quality exist are lacking.
Using a large population-based sample of primary care patientswith predominately type 2 diabetes, we sought to assess racial/ethnicdifferences in microalbuminuria and macroalbuminuria prevalence.We hypothesized that in the setting of a health maintenanceorganization (HMO) with relatively uniform access to healthcare and where diabetic treatment guidelines exist for diabeticnephropathy, racial/ethnic disparities in the prevalence ofmicroalbuminuria will not be observed after adjusting for durationof diabetes and diabetes treatment practices.
Setting
We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of baseline data collectedas part of the Pathways Study, described elsewhere (38). Inbrief, the Pathways Study is an epidemiologic evaluation ofthe prevalence and impact of depression conducted in a population-basedsample of primary care diabetic patients at Group Health Cooperative(GHC). GHC is a large nonprofit HMO that services >400,000people in 30 primary care clinics located in Western WashingtonState. GHC maintains a diabetes registry of approximately 18,000patients, from which patients were identified and targeted forenrollment into the study. Local GHC Human Subjects Review Committeeapproval was obtained before study initiation. Since 1995, GHChas implemented a quality improvement program that includesalgorithm-based diabetic nephropathy guidelines that detailtreatment recommendations for those with diabetes and earlydiabetic nephropathy. Primary care clinicians are provided withdiabetic nephropathy guidelines, and the diabetic registry maintainsa record of guideline-recommended test results by patient.
Data Source and Patients
Nine primary care clinics were considered for patient recruitmentand were chosen on the basis of the following criteria: (1)large numbers of diabetic primary care patients, (2) ethnicdiversity, and (3) located within a 40-mile geographic proximityto the Seattle/King County area. Cases were identified usingany of the following criteria: (1) currently prescribed anydiabetic treatment medication, (2) a fasting glucose 126 mg/dlor a random glucose 200 mg/dl confirmed by a second test duringthe year before ascertainment, (3) a hospital discharge diagnosisof diabetes, or (4) two outpatient diagnoses of diabetes atany time during GHC enrollment. Using these criteria, approximately9000 patients were identified and sent a survey that assesseddemographics (age, gender, income, and self-reported ethnicity),diabetes characteristics (type, duration of diabetes, self-carecharacteristics, and complications), depression status, andsatisfaction with health care. Of those, a total of 7841 patientswere eligible for inclusion. Exclusion criteria included thefollowing: Diabetes not present (n = 289), gestational diabetes(n = 8), cognitive impairment (n = 80), severe illness (n =202), deceased (n = 128), disenrollment (n = 444), languageor hearing problems (n = 99), or other reasons (n = 2). Of thosewho were eligible, 4839 (61.7%) returned the survey, 4467 (92.3%)of whom gave permission for linkage of survey data to automateddata that GHC maintains on all of its enrollees for an overallresponse rate of 57%. To assess for the possibility of nonresponsebias, differences in deidentified data were examined betweensurvey respondents and nonrespondents. Propensity scores (39)were estimated on the basis of the following variables: age,gender, hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), Rx-Risk score (a measure ofmedical comorbidity), number of primary care visits, numberof specialty visits, and patients primary clinic location.Weighted and nonweighted analyses were conducted, producingsimilar results; thus, we report nonweighted data. Because raceis not recorded in automated data at GHC, racial/ethnic differencesin nonresponse variables were not available for nonrespondents.Of the 4467 eligible patients, 2969 (66.5%) had microalbuminuriatested. Because patients who were tested for microalbuminuriadid not differ from those who were not tested in regard to demographic,laboratory, medication, or diabetes care characteristics, subsequentanalyses were restricted to those who were tested for microalbuminuria.
Exposures
Potential risk factors for microalbuminuria or macroalbuminuriawere determined a priori and included race/ethnicity, durationof diabetes, diabetes type, glycemic control, and treatmentfor hypertension. Race or ethnicity was obtained by self-reportand includes the following categories: White/Caucasian, black/AfricanAmerican, Asian or Pacific Islander, American Indian or AlaskanNative, or other. A separate question asked respondents whetherthey were of Hispanic or Spanish ethnicity. Those who self-reportedbeing of Hispanic or Spanish origin were analyzed separatelyfrom all other racial/ethnic categories and categorized as beingof "Hispanic" origin. Race and ethnicity were available for97.1% of the population. Because Native Americans or AlaskanNatives (1.5%) and those of other race/ethnicity (3.0%) composed<5.0% of the population, results for these populations wereexcluded. Automated data were used to assess laboratory results,medication use, hospitalizations, and outpatient visits. HbA1c,triglyceride, and LDL levels were ascertained closest to thedate of the baseline epidemiologic survey for up to 18 mo beforestudy enrollment. Medication use was self-reported and validatedusing automated pharmacy data. The presence of comorbid conditions,such as cardiovascular disease, hypertension, stroke, amputation,and heart failure, was identified by the use of InternationalClassification of Diseases, Ninth Revision diagnosis codes (40)from outpatient visits and hospitalizations that occurred inthe 18 mo before study entry. Computerized pharmacy recordswere used to identify patients who were taking angiotensin-convertingenzyme inhibitors (ACEI) or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB).HCG-CoA reductase inhibitor (statin) use was also categoricallydetermined for the 18 mo before date of study enrollment.
Outcomes
The primary outcomes of interest were the presence of microalbuminuriaand macroalbuminuria obtained from values averaged for the 18-moperiod before study enrollment. Microalbuminuria, identifiedin automated laboratory data by specific laboratory data codesand defined by an abnormal albumin-to-creatinine ratio of 30to 300 mg albumin/g creatinine (mg alb/g cr), was obtained froma random spot urine collection. Macroalbuminuria was definedas an albumin-to-creatinine ratio of >300 mg alb/g cr. Laboratorytests were conducted via a centralized GHC laboratory.
Statistical Analyses
Statistical analyses were conducted to compare the distributionof covariates by the presence or absence of microalbuminuriaor macroalbuminuria and by race/ethnicity. Data analyses wereperformed using STATA-SE version 8 (Stata, College Station,TX) (41). Statistical significance was determined using independentt test for continuous data and the 2 tests for categorical data(42). The associations between exposures and outcomes of interestwere measured as the unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios (OR)(43). These estimates and the 95% confidence intervals (CI)were determined using unconditional logistic regression fordichotomous outcomes (44). Modeling techniques included logisticregression with forced entry of covariates of interest. Potentialconfounders were identified by a change of 10% or more in theprimary outcome of interest in multivariate analyses (43). Becausehypertension is more likely to be associated with microalbuminuria,analyses were stratified for the presence or absence of an InternationalClassification of Diseases, Ninth Revision diagnosis of hypertensionas a surrogate for actual BP levels. Potential interactionsbetween race/ethnicity and hypertension and race/ethnicity andhypertriglyceridemia were assessed in multivariate models andnot found to be significant.
Baseline Cohort
Of the 4467 patients for whom data were available, 2969 hadlaboratory data available to determine the primary outcomesof interest (Table 1). Microalbuminuria was identified in 731(24.6%) enrollees, whereas macroalbuminuria was identified in187 (6.3%) enrollees. Compared with those with normal urinaryalbumin excretion, those with microalbuminuria were older, hadlonger duration diabetes, had worse glycemic control, and hadhigher mean serum triglyceride levels (Table 1). In addition,those with microalbuminuria were more likely to have been onoral hypoglycemic agents, insulin, statins, and ACEI/ARB thanthose with normal urinary albumin excretion. These patientsalso had lower mean income level and educational attainment.
Table 1. Population characteristics by the presence of microalbuminuria and macroalbuminuriaa
Likewise, those with macroalbuminuria were older, were morelikely to have hypertension, had longer duration diabetes, hadmore primary and specialty visits, had lower income and educationalattainment, had worse glycemic control, and had higher meantriglyceride levels than those with normal urinary albumin excretion(Table 1). Those with macroalbuminuria were also more likelyto have been on oral hypoglycemic medications or insulin, statins,and ACEI/ARB than those with normal urinary albumin.
Race and Ethnicity
Differences in the baseline population were evident by race/ethnicityand are shown in Table 2. Racial and ethnic minorities tendedto be younger than whites, had similar or higher levels of income,were similarly educated, and were more likely to be employedfull or part time (Table 2). Blacks had the highest levels ofbaseline microalbuminuria and were as likely to be on ACEI/ARB,oral hypoglycemic agents, and insulin but were less likely tobe receiving a statin drug. Hypertension was more likely tobe present in blacks than in whites, Asians, or Hispanics. Racialand ethnic minorities had similar levels of HbA1c and creatininebut lower mean levels of LDL and triglycerides. The proportionof patients who were on an ACEI/ARB or those who had testingfor microalbuminuria did not differ by race/ethnicity.
Table 2. Racial and ethnic differences in characteristics of those tested for microalbuminuriaa
Microalbuminuria
Racial and ethnic differences in the odds of microalbuminuriawere assessed and are shown in Table 3. Among those with hypertension,Hispanics had 3.8-fold greater odds (OR 3.82; 95% CI 1.16 to12.57), whereas blacks trended toward higher odds of microalbuminuria(OR 1.59; 95% CI 0.83 to 3.03) compared with whites after adjustingfor diabetes type, glycemic control, diabetes duration, statinuse, and body mass index (BMI; Table 3). In addition, patientswith triglyceride levels 200 mg/dl had a twofold higher riskof microalbuminuria compared with those with levels <200mg/dl (OR 2.03; 95% CI 1.37 to 3.01). For every year of durationof diabetes, there was a 3% greater chance of microalbuminuria.In addition, there was a 23% greater chance of microalbuminuriaassociated with every percentage elevation of HbA1c (Table 3).
Table 3. Racial or ethnic differences in odds of microalbuminuriaa
Among those without hypertension, Asians had a twofold greateradjusted odds of microalbuminuria compared with whites (OR 2.01;95% CI 1.14 to 3.53), whereas the odds of microalbuminuria forblacks and Hispanics did not reach significance. In addition,hypertriglyceridemia was associated with 1.9-fold greater oddsof microalbuminuria (OR 1.89; 95% CI 1.34 to 2.68; Table 3).Every year of diabetes was associated with a 2% increase inthe odds of microalbuminuria, whereas each percentage elevationof HbA1c was associated with a 17% greater chance of microalbuminuria.BMI >30 kg/m2 was associated with 1.74-fold increase in oddsof microalbuminuria.
Macroalbuminuria
The odds of macroalbuminuria were similarly assessed and areshown in Table 4. Among those with hypertension, blacks hadthreefold greater odds of macroalbuminuria compared with whites(OR 3.32; 95% CI 1.26 to 8.76), whereas Asians and Hispanicstrended toward greater odds of macroalbuminuria. Duration ofdiabetes conferred 6% greater odds of macroalbuminuria for eachyear of diabetes. Hypertriglyceridemia was associated with 3.7-foldgreater odds of macroalbuminuria (OR 3.70; 95% CI 1.86 to 7.39).Among those without hypertension, Asian ethnicity was associatedwith threefold greater odds of macroalbuminuria (OR 3.17; 95%CI 1.09 to 9.26). Hypertriglyceridemia (OR 3.70; 95% CI 1.80to 7.63) and duration of diabetes (OR 1.07; 95% CI 1.02 to 1.12,per year of duration) were associated with greater odds of macroalbuminuria.
Table 4. Racial or ethnic differences in odds of macroalbuminuriaa
Factors Associated with Racial/Ethnic Differences in Microalbuminuria or Macroalbuminuria
We sought to determine which factors (race/ethnicity, socioeconomiccharacteristics, diabetes characteristics, use of ACEI/ARB,BMI >30 kg/m2, triglyceride level >200 mg/dl, or LDL level/statinuse) contributed more toward the difference in odds of micro-and macroalbuminuria between individual racial/ethnic minoritygroups and whites (Table 5) (18). Combining micro- and macroalbuminuriaoutcomes for greater power, we found that among those with hypertension,hypertriglyceridemia resulted in the greatest change in oddsfor micro- or macroalbuminuria among blacks compared with whites.In contrast, controlling for socioeconomic status, diabetescare characteristics (diabetes type, glycemic control, and diabetesduration), and hypertriglyceridemia resulted in the greatestchange in the in odds of micro- or macroalbuminuria for Hispanicscompared with whites. OR did not reach significance for hypertensiveAsian patients. Similarly, among those without hypertension,BMI >30 kg/m2 and hypertriglyceridemia contributed more towardthe differences in micro- or macroalbuminuria found for Asianpatients compared with whites. Ethnic differences in the oddsof micro- or macroalbuminuria were less apparent for nonhypertensiveblacks and Hispanics.
In this population-based cohort of primary care patients whohad diabetes and for whom medical care was provided in a settingin which guidelines for assessment and treatment of early diabeticnephropathy existed, we found racial/ethnic differences in prevalenceof microalbuminuria and macroalbuminuria. Blacks and Hispanicswere more likely than whites to have microalbuminuria or macroalbuminuriawhen they had an underlying diagnosis of hypertension, whereasAsians were more likely than whites to have microalbuminuriaor macroalbuminuria in the absence of hypertension. Hypertensionand duration of diabetes remained risk factors for micro- andmacroalbuminuria, whereas hypertriglyceridemia had the strongestassociation with both microalbuminuria and macroalbuminuriaafter adjustment for diabetes care characteristics, BMI, andsocioeconomic status.
Although it is widely known that blacks and other ethnic minoritygroups have a greater propensity toward diabetic renal failureor ESRD (57), less is known about ethnic differencesin early manifestations of diabetic nephropathy, particularlyin representative population samples with equal access to careafter controlling for socioeconomic status. In the current study,the prevalence of microalbuminuria was similar to that reportedby small clinic-based studies (4547); however, the whitepopulation from the current study had a higher prevalence ofmicroalbuminuria compared with recent treatment trials (48).Nationally, blacks and Hispanics have been shown to have greaterodds of microalbuminuria in the general population, but ethnicdifferences in microalbuminuria have not been reported for thosewith a diagnosis of diabetes (15,49,50). Thus, the current studyfound that in a health care system in which enrollees have equalaccess to diabetes-associated care, ethnic differences in micro-and macroalbuminuria occurred after adjustment for clinicalcharacteristics, socioeconomic status, and treatment practices.
We found hypertriglyceridemia to be robustly associated withmicro- and microalbuminuria. Unlike recent treatment trials(48), the current study did not find a strong association ofelevated LDL levels with micro- and macroalbuminuria after controllingfor statin use. However, the strong association with hypertriglyceridemiaremained after adjusting for BMI, LDL, and statin use. Althoughit is widely known that diabetes (51) and proteinuria (52,53)are associated with elevated triglyceride levels, it is notknown, in this case, whether hypertriglyceridemia preceded theonset of microalbuminuria or dyslipidemia was a result of theunderlying renal dysfunction. Longitudinal results from theCoronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults Study foundthat hypertriglyceridemia conferred a greater risk of microalbuminuriathan elevated BP or other risk factors in people with and withoutdiabetes (13). Furthermore, in a preliminary report from a recentrandomized, controlled trial, treatment of hypertriglyceridemiawith fenofibrate was shown to improve incipient diabetic nephropathy(54); however, long-term studies are lacking. A longitudinalstudy is needed to assess causal relationships of hypertriglyceridemiawith development of microalbuminuria or with progression ofmicroalbuminuria to macroalbuminuria in patients with diabetes.
Because hypertension is known to affect the prevalence of micro-or macroalbuminuria and because hypertensive renal disease moreoften affects certain minority populations (6), we stratifiedanalyses by the presence or absence of hypertension. Hypertensionhas been shown to increase the risk of microalbuminuria in theabsence of diabetes (13,15), and racial and ethnic differencesin the risk of hypertension are known to exist (45,46,55,56).Numerous mechanisms have been described to account for racialand ethnic differences in risk of hypertension (5774),including increased salt sensitivity in blacks (75) and Asians(57), low renin-angiotensin responsiveness in blacks (58,65),decreased excretion of potassium (76), and differences in renalvasculature and nephron number, although controversy existsregarding some proposed mechanisms (77,78). The current studyfound that prevalent hypertension was associated with a 1.9-foldgreater odds of macroalbuminuria (OR 1.94; 95% CI 1.20 to 3.13)and trended toward increased odds of microalbuminuria (OR 1.25;95% CI 0.97 to 1.62); however, when models were stratified bydiagnosis of hypertension, blacks and Hispanics were more likelyto have micro- or macroalbuminuria in the presence of hypertension,whereas Asian patients were more likely to have micro- or macroalbuminuriain the absence of a diagnosis of hypertension. Reasons for differencesamong racial/ethnic minority groups may reside in a groupspropensity toward hypertension, differences in ease of BP control,or response to antihypertensive medications, all of which wewere unable to ascertain using the current database.
Adjustment for several factors resulted in an increase in therelative odds of micro- or macroalbuminuria among hypertensivepatients, but contribution of specific factors differed by ethnicity(Table 5). Among blacks, adjustment for triglycerides resultedin the greatest change in the odds of micro- or macroalbuminuria,whereas among Hispanics, adjustment for socioeconomic status,diabetes characteristics, and hypertriglyceridemia resultedin the greatest change of micro- or macroalbuminuria comparedwith whites. Blacks in this HMO setting were more similar totheir white counterparts in terms of socioeconomic characteristics,which may explain why adjustment for socioeconomic factors didnot change the odds of microalbuminuria among blacks comparedwith whites.
For nonhypertensive Asian patients, adjustment for BMI 30 kg/m2and hypertriglyceridemia had the greatest affect on the magnitudeof change in the odds of micro- or macroalbuminuria comparedwith whites. A longitudinal study of patients with similar durationof diabetes for whom baseline BMI, BP, diabetes characteristics,dietary patterns, and lipid levels were similar would be necessaryto determine whether these risk factors precede microalbuminuriain time and therefore potentially cause this outcome or followits development. In addition, genetic or environmental/culturalforces may explain the differences found, but because of thecross-sectional nature of the study and lack of BP levels oradditional information on antihypertensive medications, causalinferences cannot be clarified from data in the current study.
Besides differences in baseline diagnosis of hypertension, explanationsfor racial/ethnic disparities in the presence of microalbuminuriaor macroalbuminuria are likely multifactorial, as a result inpart of differences in access to care (14), differences in glycemiccontrol (25), and differences in the processes and quality ofcare (26) or may involve biologic or genetic differences. Inthe current study, access to care was comparable among studyparticipants, as were identified diabetes care characteristics.Ethnic minority groups may be more prone to metabolic syndrome(79), which may predispose them to microalbuminuria or macroalbuminuriaonce diabetes develops. Other genetic differences, such as ACEgenotype polymorphisms, may also explain a relative lack ofresponse to ACEI in certain ethnic groups (80,81); however,detailed genetic and long-term longitudinal studies are necessaryto determine casual mechanisms.
This study has several strengths, which include the use of alarge population-based sample of diabetic patients who wereenrolled in a setting with relatively uniform treatment andguidelines and with an active quality improvement program fortreatment of diabetic nephropathy. Also, information on pertinentcovariates, such as ACEI/ARB, that might be related to presenceof albuminuria was available, allowing adjustment for this potentialconfounding effect.
Limitations include the cross-sectional nature of this study,which precludes assessment of whether predictor covariates werepresent before the appearance of micro- and macroalbuminuria.In addition, the effect of BP level on micro- or macroalbuminuriacould not be assessed in the current study, because BP measurementswere not available within the automated database. However, Chaikenet al. (46) found that actual level of BP was less predictiveof risk of micro- or macroalbuminuria in a black clinic cohortthan having a diagnosis of hypertension. Also, because of theobservational nature of the study, all laboratory data (includingurine albumin determination) were assessed within an 18-mo timeframe before the initiation of the survey and not at the sametime period for all participants. Furthermore, HbA1c levels,triglyceride levels, and LDL levels were obtained at differenttime points for each individual. An additional limitation wasthe small sample of Native Americans/Alaskan Natives, for whomconclusions could not be determined. Finally, microalbuminurialevels were not available on all patients, which reduced thesample size and may have caused selection bias in the detectionof an association between microalbuminuria and covariates. However,racial/ethnic minorities were as likely to have received microalbuminuriatesting compared with whites, which argues against the possibilityof differential selection bias by race or ethnicity.
In summary, among individuals who have diabetes and similaraccess to clinical care in a large health management organization,ethnic differences in the prevalence of incipient diabetic nephropathywere found, which varied by presence of a diagnosis of hypertension.Poor glycemic control, hypertriglyceridemia, and longer durationof diabetes were independently associated with prevalent microalbuminuriaand macroalbuminuria. Hypertriglyceridemia contributed significantlyto ethnic differences in prevalent microalbuminuria and macroalbuminuriaand merits further research as a potentially modifiable riskfactor for diabetic nephropathy.
Acknowledgments
Supported by grants #MH 4-1739 and #MH 01643 from the NationalInstitute of Mental Health Services Division, Bethesda, MD.An American Diabetes Association Career Development Award anda Robert Wood Johnson Amos Medical Faculty Development Fellowshipsupport Dr. Young currently.
An abstract of this paper was submitted and accepted for anoral presentation at the 2004 American Diabetes AssociationsAnnual meeting, June 7, 2004.
We gratefully acknowledge the assistance of Heather Ross, BS,in the preparation of this manuscript.
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Received for publication March 2, 2004.
Accepted for publication September 17, 2004.
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