Relationships of pancreatic beta-cell function with microalbuminuria and glomerular filtration rate in middle-aged and elderly population without type 2 diabetes mellitus: a Chinese community-based analysis.

BACKGROUND: Relationships of pancreatic beta-cell function abnormality with microalbuminuria (MA) and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) may differ by age, ethnicity and accompanied diseases. Previous studies were generally conducted in Western adult patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and it is uncertain whether pancreatic beta-cell function is associated with MA and GFR in Chinese community-dwelling middle-aged and elderly population without T2DM. We therefore examined the relationships of pancreatic beta-cell function with two indices of renal damage, MA and GFR, in Chinese community-dwelling middle-aged and elderly population without T2DM.

METHODS: This analysis focused on 380 Beijing residents older than 45 years who were free of T2DM and completed the evaluation of pancreatic beta-cell function.

RESULTS: Median age was 67 (49-80) years. Levels of triglyceride, diastolic blood pressure and homeostasis model assessment-beta (HOMA-beta) index were positively related to urine microalbumin (P<0.05 for all). Age, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels and HOMA-beta index were inversely correlated with GFR, while high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels were positively correlated with GFR (P<0.05 for all). In all three adjustment models, there was a significant positive association between HOMA-beta index and MA; subjects with higher beta-cell function had higher odds of MA (P<0.05 for all). There was no association between HOMA-beta index and GFR <60 mL/min/1.73 m(2) in any model (P>0.05 for all).

CONCLUSION: Modeling the pancreatic beta-cell function with different adjusted variables provided the same conclusion of association with MA; beta-cell function was positively associated with MA. Additionally, there was a specific difference in the adjusted associations of pancreatic beta-cell function with MA and GFR <60 mL/min/1.73 m(2); beta-cell function was not independently associated with GFR <60 mL/min/1.73 m(2). This result indicated that abnormal pancreatic beta-cell function plays an important role in the development of MA.