-
-
Enroll in the Living With Type 2 Diabetes Program
Recently diagnosed? Let us guide you during your first year.
-
-
-
-
-
News & Research
Connect with Others
See what members of our online community are talking about on our Message Boards.
Urine Protein Tests May Help Patients With Heart Failure
What is the problem and what is known about it so far?
People with diabetes are more likely to get heart and kidney disease. High levels of a substance called albumin (protein) in the urine are a risk factor for both heart and kidney disease. People with diabetes or high blood pressure should have regular checks of their urine protein levels. A convenient test to measure urine protein levels is called the urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR). High urine protein levels may also increase a person’s risk of having heart failure. It is not known how common high urine protein levels are in people at risk for heart failure or whether testing UARC may be helpful in guiding heart failure treatment.
Why did the researchers do this particular study?
The researchers wanted to find out whether the UACR test may be helpful for patients with heart failure.
Who was studied?
The study included 2,310 patients who were participating in a larger study testing a medicine for heart failure.
How was the study done?
The researchers tested to see how many patients had slightly high urine protein levels and how many had very high urine protein levels and which of those patients died or had to be hospitalized for worsening heart failure.
What did the researchers find?
Most (58%) of the patients had a normal UACR, 30% had slightly high urine protein levels, and 11% had very high urine protein levels. Participants with a high UACR were older, had higher blood pressure levels, and were more likely to have a history of high blood pressure, heart and blood vessel disease, diabetes, and kidney problems. However, high UACRs were also common among people without diabetes, high blood pressure, or kidney disease. People with higher UACRs were 60–80% more likely to die and 30–70% more likely to be hospitalized for worsening heart failure, even after taking factors such as diabetes, blood glucose control, and kidney functioning into account.
What were the limitations of the study?
Many participants missed their follow-up tests, and the length of the study may have been too short to see an effect. Patients for this study were selected from a group enrolled in another study, and those with severe kidney problems were not included. Even so, the number of participants with high urine protein levels was still similar to that found in another heart failure study.
What are the implications of the study
People with heart failure should have their urine protein levels tested to help guide their treatment. It is possible (but not yet proven) that lowering urine protein levels may lead to improvement in heart failure.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
