ABSTRACT
Diabetic nephropathy accounts for a significant reduction in life expectancy of diabetic patients. Diabetic patients with microalbuminuria have increased risk of progression to overt proteinuria and later progress to renal failure which is usually irreversible and eventually leads to death. The prevalence and risk factors of microalbuminuria are not fully described among black African diabetic patients. The objective of the present study was to determine the prevalence of micro-albuminuria and associated factors among diabetic patients in ABUTH, Shika, Zaria. This was a cross-sectional study of diabetic patients attending ABUTH, Zaria. Concentrations of Fasting blood glucose (FBG), serum creatinine (SCr), Urinary creatinine (UCr), and glycated haemoglobin (GHbA1c) were measured in 170 diabetic patients and 100 apparently healthy individuals. Microalbuminuria was measured using immunoturbidimetric method and was defined as Albumin-creatinine ratio ACR between 3-30 mg/mmol.  There was a positive and significant correlation between serum creatinine and age in both patients (p=0.031, r=0.216) and controls (p=0.014, r=0.244). Positive correlation was also observed between duration of diagnosis and serum creatinine among patients (p=0.047, r=0.152). ACR was found to correlate positively with GHbA1c in patients (p=0.013, r=0.189) and with BMI among controls (p=0.031, r=0.216). A reference range of 0.14-1.78 mg/mmol and clinical decision limit of 2.19 mg/mmol for microalbuminuria and of 3.43-6.39 % and a clinical decision limit of 7.13 % for glycated haemoglobin were established. The only modifiable predictor identified in this study was poor glycaemic control for the development of microalbuminuria. Other non modifiable risk factors related to progression of microalbuminuria were age and duration of diagnosis. Aggressive glycaemic control is hereby recommended for better management and preventive measures to halt or slow the progression rate of renal involvement in diabetic patients.