Prevalence of Microalbuminuria Among Diabetes Patients in Africa: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND: Microalbuminuria (MAU) is considered the earliest sign of diabetic nephropathy among diabetes patients. In order to effectively manage diabetic nephropathy and its consequences early, detection of microalbuminuria as soon as possible, especially for diabetes patients, is critical. Therefore, the present study aimed to determine the pooled prevalence of microalbuminuria among diabetes patients in Africa. METHODS: Electronic databases such as Google Scholar, PubMed, African Journals Online, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and ResearchGate were searched for articles and grey literature. The STATA version 14 software was used to conduct the meta-analysis. I(2) and Cochran’s Q test were employed to assess the presence of heterogeneity between studies. Due to the presence of heterogeneity, a random effect model was used. The publication bias was assessed using the symmetry of the funnel plot and Egger’s test statistics. Moreover, subgroup analysis, trim and fill analysis, and sensitivity analysis were also done. RESULTS: The overall pooled prevalence of microalbuminuria among diabetes patients in Africa was 37.11% (95% CI 31.27–42.95). Substantial heterogeneity was observed between studies, with I(2) values of 94.7%. Moreover, this meta-analysis showed that the pooled estimate of microalbuminuria among type 1 and type 2 diabetes patients was 35.34% (95% CI: 23.89–46.80, I(2)=94.2), and 40.24% (95% CI: 32.0–48.47, I(2)=94.9) respectively. MAU, on the other hand, was more common in people with diabetes for more than 5 years 38.73% (95% CI: 29.34–48.13) than in people with diabetes for less than 5 years 31.48% (95% CI: 18.73–44.23). CONCLUSION: This systematic review and meta-analysis found a high prevalence of microalbuminuria among diabetes patients. As a result, early detection of microalbuminuria is critical for preventing and treating microvascular complications such as diabetic nephropathy and the onset of end-stage renal disease.