Albumin is a protein present in blood and excreted in urine. Slight increases of levels of albumin excretion in urine (so called microalbuminuria) are related to an increased risk for renal and cardiovascular disease, even in otherwise healthy individuals. Nevertheless, the exact cause and the underlying mechanism of microalbuminuria are still unknown. Moreover, data on microalbuminuria in young individuals are scarce.
With this project we intend to learn more about the prevalence of microalbuminuria in school-aged children and young adults. We also want to test the hypothesis that some individuals have higher urinary albumin levels already early in life, that these findings persist in time and that such individuals carry a higher risk for renal, cardiovascular and, possibly, metabolic disease.
Moreover, we intend to explore possible causes of microalbuminuria, evaluating genetic background and associations between albuminuria and antenatal and postnatal determinants.
We plan to integrate the extensive data from the ALSPAC cohort with data from the Dutch GECKO birth-cohort (Groningen, The Netherlands), where urine samples have been collected at a younger age and thorough information about obesity risk factors are available. By investigating these two cohorts, we aim to gather data describing the spectrum of albuminuria from early childhood into young adulthood.