It is important to prevent the kidneys becoming affected in diabetes. A tight blood sugar control and a tight blood pressure control goes a long way in preventing the kidneys from getting affected in diabetes.

Usually the first indication of damage to the kidney, due to diabetes, is the appearance of protein (mostly albumin) in the urine. The protein, which we all carry in our blood, leaks through the damaged glomeuli, or small filtering tubes, and appears in the urine. It is detected when your doctor does a routine urine protein test. The presence of protein in the urine produces no discomfort and the person is not aware of its presence unless the urine is tested.

A urinary microalbuminuria test detects the protein, in micro quantities, much before the normal urine test does. At this stage the kidney damage is reversible with the help of tight blood sugar control and tight blood pressure control.