Abdominal obesity, systolic blood pressure, and microalbuminuria in normotensive and euglycemic Korean men

Objectives: To evaluate the relationship between abdominal obesity and microalbuminuria (MA) in normotensive, euglycemic Korean men. Design: A cross-sectional study at a health screening center. Subjects: A total of 1321 healthy, normotensive Korean men, aged 20-78 years, with a fasting plasma glucose level <100 mg/dl. Measurements: Height, weight, and waist; systolic blood pressure (SBP); diastolic blood pressures (DBP); urinary albumin to creatinine ratio (ACR); fasting glucose, insulin, lipids, C-reactive protein (CRP), and white blood cell count. Waist circumference (WC) was used to indicate abdominal obesity and a single measurement of ACR was used to estimate MA. We also calculated body mass index (BMI) based on weight and height. Results: Mean BMI, WC, and SBP were significantly higher in subjects with MA than in those without (24.8 ± 4.1 vs 23.8 ± 2.7 kg/m², 86 ± 9 vs 83 ± 8 cm, and 115 ± 5 vs 112 ± 7 mmHg, respectively). Multiple logistic regression analyses showed that only WC and SBP were independent predictors of MA. Conclusion: WC and SBP were positively associated with MA in normotensive and euglycemic Korean men.