Does this test have other names? What is this test? This test
looks for minuscule amounts of albumin in your urine. The test
can find out whether diabetes has damaged your kidneys. Albumin
is a protein necessary for tissue growth and healing. It can
leak into your urine when your kidneys aren't working properly.
Because such small amounts of albumin may not show up during
routine urine testing, doctors use this test to look for changes
in albumin levels that mean complications from diabetes or other
conditions. If kidney disease is caught early, it may be treated
successfully. According to the CDC, diabetes is the leading
cause of kidney failure in the U.S. The National Kidney
Foundation recommends that people with diabetes who are between
12 and 70 years old have a urine test for microalbumin at least
once a year. According to the American Diabetes Association,
everyone with type 1 diabetes should begin testing after five
years of having the disease. Those with type 2 diabetes should
be tested when they are