Microalbuminuria in essential hypertension.

Microalbuminuria is frequently seen in patients with established essential hypertension, and is a predictor of a higher risk for cardiovascular and probably renal dysfunction. The presence of microalbuminuria has been shown to correlate with the other cardiovascular risk factors commonly seen in hypertensive patients. This fact indicates that the detection of an increased urinary albumin excretion could probably be the best index of an increased global cardiovascular risk in a given patient. Blood pressure control is accompanied by a fall in the content of albumin in urine. Agents with the capacity to block the renin-angiotensin system have shown a capacity to decrease urinary albumin excretion, which is independent of their ability to lower blood pressure. Whether or not a decrease in urinary albumin excretion is accompanied by an improved renal and cardiovascular prognosis in hypertensive patients remains to be elucidated.