The association between albuminuria and ethnicity was evaluated in this New Zealand study involving 65,171 adults (median age 64.7 years) in primary care with type 2 diabetes (median duration 5.1 years) who were not on renal replacement therapy; 48.5% were non-European. Microalbuminuria or greater was present in 50% of Māori, 49% of Pacific people, 31% of Indo- and East-Asians and 28% of Europeans. In regression analyses that controlled for study site and other known risk variables (including age, sex, duration of diabetes, smoking status, socioeconomic status, body mass index, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, triglyceride levels, HbA1C and being on an ACE inhibitor or angiotensin II receptor blocker) and compared with Europeans, odds ratios for ‘advanced’ albuminuria (≥100 mg/mmoL) were 3.9 in Māori, 4.7 in Pacific people, 2.0 in Indo-Asians and 4.1 in East-Asians.
