Comparison of the predictive ability of albuminuria and dipstick proteinuria for mortality in the Japanese population: the Yamagata (Takahata) study

Background Albuminuria and proteinuria are known risk factors for premature death. This study compared the ability of albuminuria and proteinuria to predict mortality in a community-based population. Methods We evaluated the urinary albumin creatinine ratio (ACR) and proteinuria by dipstick at a baseline survey and examined the association between the 7-year mortality and three categories (albuminuria [ACR ≥ 30 mg/g], trace proteinuria, and ≥[1+] proteinuria) in 3446 Japanese subjects at a local health check. Results Albuminuria, ≥trace proteinuria, and ≥(1+) proteinuria were identified in 514 (14.9 %), 290 (8.4 %), and 151 (4.4 %) subjects, respectively. There were 138 deaths during the follow-up period, including 41 cardiovascular deaths. A Kaplan–Meier analysis showed that all-cause mortality significantly increased along with the increase in ACR and proteinuria levels (log-rank P