The term 'microalbuminuria' has been introduced to describe ameasurable increase in urine albumin excretion, which is still withinnormal total urine protein excretion levels. Many data suggest thatmicroalbuminuria is of value as an index of vascular damage,especially in hypertension and diabetes, damage, especially inhypertension and diabetes and there is increasing information on itsassoci- ations its prognostic value. The association betweenmicroalbuminuria and peripheral markers of endo- thelial damage ordysfunction, such as von Willebrand factor, suggests the possibilitythat microalbuminuria may be a simple, cheap and easy index ofendothelial abnormalities in cardiovascular disease.
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