The effect of anti-hypertensive therapy on urinary albumin excretion in Nigerian hypertensives.

The effect of blood pressure control on urinary protein excretion was assessed in 24 benign essential hypertensive subjects (12 males and 12 females). There were 23 controls (11 males and 12 females). Mean ages were 55 and 53 years respectively. Twenty-four hours urine was collected from each subject before and after control of blood pressure, while the controls had only one 24 h urine sample collected. 24 h urinary albumin excretion was assessed using the Bromocresol Green Method. Control of blood pressure in the subjects took an average of eight weeks. Subjects were either given hydroflumethiazide, alpha-methyldopa and/or prazosin as required. Blood pressure was measured in the right arm at each visit and pill counting was used to assess the compliance with therapy. The average urinary albumin excretion was significantly higher in the hypertensive subjects than the normotensive controls (P < 0.05). The average urinary albumin excretion after control of blood pressure was also significantly lower than, before control of blood pressure (P < 0.02). There was no correlation between SBP, DBP, MAP, and 24 h urinary albumin excretion in both subjects and controls. This study has shown that control of blood pressure can reduce or reverse urinary albumin excretion in Nigerian hypertensives.