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Kidney Disease


Al test for the presence of microalbumin should be done annually. The word microalbumin can be broken down into:

Micro = Small
Albumin = Protein
Uria = In the Urine


This annual screening checks for tiny concentrations of protein that are slipping through the kidneys and into the urine. In people with healthy kidneys, some microalbumin makes it into the urine, but when that amount starts to rise, it can be a sign of kidney damage.

A person with diabetes is 17 times more likely to develop problems with his/her kidneys than a person without diabetes. The kidneys filter your blood and dispose of the body's waste in your urine. Millions of blood vessels are part of that filtering system in the kidneys. High blood sugars and high blood pressure can damage these small blood vessels. Then the kidneys are not able to filter your body's wastes very well, leaving protein in the urine. This is called nephropathy. There aren't any early symptoms, but it can be detected and treated by yearly blood and urine tests at your doctor's office.

Like most complications of diabetes, it's important to catch kidney damage early, so it can be treated and stopped in its tracks. If the damage is allowed to worsen, it can turn into macroalbuminuria (macro = bigger), meaning that larger particles of protein are getting through. Macroalbuminuria is associated with end stage renal disease—when the kidneys eventually stop functioning completely.

Risk Factors Of Nephropathy

The longer you have diabetes, the more likely you are to develop nephropathy. The following risk factors put you at increased risk for kidney disease.

  • poor diabetes control
  • people with diabetes who have a near relative with nephropathy
  • high blood pressure
  • high cholesterol levels
  • urinary tract infections
  • smoking

The good news is that early detection of kidney disease means you've got great prospects for recovery. You may never even have to feel the damage before you get a chance to reverse it. Take care of your kidneys. Make sure you get yours checked out once a year.

Detecting Nephropathy

Because nephropathy doesn't have any symptoms until it is far along, the best thing you can do is to have your urine checked for microalbuminuria (MAU). The presence of MAU is an early indicator of kidney disease. Screening for MAU allows you to detect nephropathy in its early stages when treatment can slow or even prevent progression of the disease. Diabetes UK recommends that type 1 patients with diabetes be screened for MAU starting five years after their diagnosis. Type 2 patients with diabetes should be screened yearly as soon as they are diagnosed.

Preventing Nephropathy

Keep Your Blood Sugar Levels Close To Normal Range. Discuss your target range with your diabetes care team.

Lower Your Blood Pressure If It Is High. Discuss what your normal range is and how to treat your high blood pressure with your healthcare team. ACE inhibitors are medications that effectively lower blood pressure and can also protect the kidneys.

If You Have Protein In Your Urine, discuss how to treat this - with medication and/or limiting protein in your meal plan - with your healthcare team.

Stop Smoking! Smoking is a strong risk factor for kidney damage. It causes damage to the lining of the blood vessels and narrows small blood vessels.

Last modified: 15/08/2008