This is lower than other goals that you may see in hypertension control. When these don't work, the physician may prescribe blood-pressure lowering medications. One category of antihypertensive drugs is especially useful in diabetics. In addition to lowering blood pressure, these drugs may also slow kidney disease. The other treatment that doctors try is a lower protein diet.
Protein seems to make the kidneys work harder, reducing dietary protein reduces their workload.
Patients should work with a registered dietitian to design a diet that contains 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight daily. The American Diabetes Association reccomends annual testing for protein in the urine starting five years after diagnosis of Type I diabetes. The National Kidney Foundation and the European IDDM Policy Group have similar guidelines. People who have Type II diabetes should be tested at the time of diagnosis. This is because many patients are often not diagnosed until several years after they have had blood sugar abnormalities.