Diabetic nephropathy can be slowed down to a large extent, if checked early. Therefore, early screening for the presence of the protein (albumin) in urine (micro albuminuria) is quintessential for all diabetic patients at least on a yearly basis to diagnose diabetic kidney disease.
An aggressive intervention has been known to slow down the progress of diabetic nephropathy. It is of concern that patients often seek medical attention only after the disease has progressed to the mid- or late- stage.
Those who have reached stage 3 of the disease when a 24-hour period evaluation shows that the urine contains more than 300 mg of albumin in it must be referred to a nephrologist (kidney specialist) who may carry out further tests and start the right treatment This specialist generally helps the patient in the long term disease management.
