Albuminuria is the first sign of diabetic kidney disease.
Kidney disease is one of the most serious complications of diabetes. Eventually, the kidneys may fail completely so that a person with the disease needs dialysis or a kidney transplant. It can be measured by a specific urine test, either on a single urine specimen, or on a 24-hour urine collection. Any doctor can test for albuminuria. Routine urine analysis does not detect albuminuria.