Albumin to Creatinine Ratio Is Fairly Correlated with Albumin Excretion Rate in Chronic Kidney Disease

Measurement of urine albumin excretion rate (AER) over a 24-h period is considered the gold standard technique for detecting albuminuria. However, the procedure is highly inconvenient for most patients. This study aimed to assess the accuracy of albumin to creatinine ratio in spot urine (UACR) as a surrogate to 24-h urine AER in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). This cross-sectional study included 92 patients with CKD (51 men and 41 women) admitted to Al-Basrah Teaching Hospital from January to October 2014. The 24-h AER was obtained using 24-h urine samples and the UACR was determined from a morning-void urine sample. Serum creatinine level was determined and general urine examination was performed using standard methods. Patients were divided into three groups according to glomerular filtration rate (GFR; ≥60, 30–59, and 15–29 mL/min/1.73 m2). Pearson’s correlation coefficients for ACR vs. 24-h AER were 0.609 (P < 0.0001) and 0.532 (P < 0.0001) for men and women, respectively. In the GFR groups, Pearson’s correlation coefficients were, in the order listed above, 0.681 (P = 0.0001), 0.820 (P = < 0.001), 0.865 (P = 0.002) in men, and 0.721 (P = 0.01), 0.865 (P = 0.002), and 0.756 (P = 0.04) in women. In conclusion UACR determined using morning urine samples is fairley correlated with 24-h urine AER and is more practical and convenient for both the patient and the physician