Albuminuria and risk of nonvertebral fractures

Individuals with end-stage renal disease are at higher risk of fractures compared with subjects in the general population. We examined whether elevated albumin-creatinine ratios (ACRs) were associated with nonvertebral fractures in subjects without diabetes or macroalbuminuria.

A total of 4497 subjects (2267 men and 2230 women) 55 to 74 years old at baseline were followed for a mean of 8.4 years. Measurements of ACR, height, weight, blood pressure, lipids, serum creatinine, and bone mineral density were performed, and information about smoking and drinking habits, physical activity, prevalent diseases, and use of medication was collected before the start of follow-up. Nonvertebral fractures were registered during follow-up.

A total of 135 men and 382 women sustained a new nonvertebral fracture. For a 1-SD higher value for the log-transformed ACR, the relative risk for a fracture was 1.01 in men (P = .94, after multiple adjustments) and 1.15 in women (P = .005). Women with ACRs in the highest quartile had a 71% higher risk of nonvertebral fractures compared with women with ACRs in the lowest quartile (P value for linear trend over the quartiles, .001). Bone mineral density tended to be lower with higher ACRs in both sexes, but this did not explain the increased fracture risk in women.

Albumin-creatinine ratio was associated with nonvertebral fractures in women without diabetes or macroalbuminuria but not in men.