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NetWellness provides the highest quality health information and education services created and evaluated by faculty of our partner universities.
Friday, November 20, 2009
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NetWellness provides the highest quality health information and education services created and evaluated by faculty of our partner universities.
Friday, November 20, 2009
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People with diabetes are at a higher risk for kidney disease. This is because when there is too much sugar in the blood, the kidneys try to clean it out. Unfortunately, the sugar that the kidneys clean out begins to slowly kill the cells in the kidney.
To measure how well the kidneys are working, your healthcare provider should do a microalbuminuria test which looks for small quantities of protein called albumin in a urine sample. High levels of the protein albumin in the urine indicate the start of a condition called microalbuminuria. Usually, this test is for a person who's been diabetic for several years and may show whether or not you are at risk for developing kidney disease.
Damage to the cells and blood vessels in the kidneys affects their ability to filter out waste. Waste in the blood will stay in the body instead of being excreted with urine. If the damage goes on long enough, in some cases this can lead to kidney failure. When the kidneys fail, every few days a person has to have his or her blood filtered through a machine (a treatment called dialysis), or get a kidney transplant.
Your microalbumin (a protein in the urine) should be less than 30 mg/24 hours. Your health care provider should check this at least once a year. Your doctor can also do a yearly blood test to measure your kidney function.
Ask your doctor about your kidney function and be sure you are tested at least once a year. All the things you do to care for diabetes are important to protect your kidneys including exercise, diet and your medication program.
This article is a NetWellness exclusive. 
Last Reviewed: Jan 30, 2009
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David C Aron, MD, MS Professor of Medicine, Epidemiology and Biostatistics Associate Chief of Staff, VA Medical Center Division of Endocrinology School of Medicine Case Western Reserve University |
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