Kidneys

Once a year, you will be asked to bring a urine sample to your clinic to check for protein. Ideally, this sample should be the first urine you pass in the morning. You will also have a blood sample taken to be tested for 'salts' and 'waste products' such as 'creatinine', which your kidneys should normally filter out of your blood into your urine.

Having poorly controlled diabetes may increase the risk of damage to the small blood vessels in the kidneys. This is called diabetic nephropathy. The first sign of diabetic nephropathy is the presence of a small amount of protein in the urine. This is called microalbuminuria. If you have signs of microalbuminuria, your doctor may prescribe a tablet known as an 'ACE inhibitor' (eg Ramipril, Perindopril, Captopril, Enalapril) as these have been found to prevent nephropathy getting worse. If untreated, nephropathy can eventually lead to kidney failure.