Urinary Albumin Excretion as a Predictor of Diabetic Retinopathy, Neuropathy, and Cardiovascular Disease in NIDDM

Abstract

Thus, increasing UAE in this large NIDDM population in the U.S. was associated with an increased prevalence of diabetic retinopathy, neuropathy, and cardiovascular disease. This suggests that UAE may be more than an indicator of renal disease in NIDDM patients and, in fact, may reflect a state of generalized vascular damage occurring throughout the body. Prospective studies in NIDDM patients are needed to determine the predictive effect of UAE and the effect of decreasing UAE on future diabetic micro- and macrovascular complications.