Original Article Factors Associated With Frequent Remission of Microalbuminuria

To estimate the frequency of remission/regression of mi-croalbuminuria and to identify factors affecting such out-comes in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes, we observed 216 patients with type 2 diabetes and microalbu-minuria enrolled during an initial 2-year evaluation period for the next 6 years. Remission was defined as shift to normoalbuminuria and regression as a 50 % reduction in urinary albumin excretion rate (AER) from one 2-year period to the next. Reduction of urinary AER was frequent, with a 6-year cumulative incidence of 51 % (95 % CI 42–60) for remission and 54 % (45–63) for regression, whereas the frequency of progression to overt proteinuria was 28% (19–37). Microalbuminuria of short duration, the use of renin-angiotensin system-blocking drugs, and lower ter-tiles for HbA1c (<6.95%) and systolic blood pressur