Hypertension, atherosclerosis and microalbuminuria in ELSA. European Lacidipine Study of Atherosclerosis.

Microalbuminuria constitutes a good predictor of cardiovascular risk in general population and also in hypertensive and diabetic patients. This reason led us to consider of interest the measurement of urinary albumin excretion, initially and during the follow-up, in a subset of patients of the ELSA Study. By doing so we will be able to know which is the prevalence of microalbuminuria in the type of patients entering the ELSA Study. The evolution of microalbuminuria with the two different therapies and its correlation with the changes observed by ultrasonography in the carotid wall will also be investigated.