Hello, There is no place I trust information from more than this forum, so I have a question I am hoping I can get some help with. I wrote about 18 months ago of having my first above normal microabuminuria result, although it was only 34. Now it is 75, tested this week. I do not smoke or drink alcohol, and never have. My AIC’s during the 18 month period between the two tests has been between 5.1 and 5.8, never hitting above 6.0. I take Metformin (1000mg) a day, in addition to 40 mg lisinopril and 40 mg of a statin daily. My blood pressure and cholesterol levels are fine, probably thanks to the medication. Is there anything can do to prevent this microabumin level in my urine from rising? Anything I should be eating or doing differently than I already am? My primary doctor has a good heart, but her knowledge of diabetes is pretty rudimentary, so I certainly am much more interested in the feedback I might get here. Thank you in advance.
Does this indicate liver or kidney issues? I dunno.
@eileen10 I also have trust issues with some health professionals, including any number of doctors. I’d urge you to seek an opinion from a nephrologist, certainly not a primary care physician or even a endocrinologist. They simply don’t have the specialized experience to advise you properly on diabetic kidney disease.
While your numbers are slightly on the high side and may be an indication of early stage kidney disease, I would not be overly concerned with those microalbumin levels. If and when they’re > 300 you definitely have a problem.
You’ve got a long way to go and it could be decades before your function diminishes further (I first showed signs of DKD 24 years ago and I’m still ok, although lately other signs are popping up).
Your creatinine levels should be followed more closely, from which they can calculate your eGFR, another measure of kidney function.
See a pro
My take away here is, it’s one test result. I have had a few of those A1C’s that came back and I knew it was wrong & just asked for a retest. This could just be a bad draw. If you are really concerned about the number, ask for another test. Otherwise, just wait for the next test and see if it comes back into line.
And if it continues to go up, a diabetes specialist should be in your future treatment team. Good luck!
Thank you Jim for your message and reassurance. My doctor just increased my lisinopril from 20 mg/day to 40 mg/day and told me to come into the office within a couple of weeks to have my creatinine level checked. I hope my numbers are somewhat improved by this, but will try to worry less knowing you have been dealing with this for a long time. Thank you again for your response.
Thank you Sally. My albumin had been drifting upwards, but did this (what feels to me) relatively quick jump, which has me a bit freaked out. My lisinopril dose has been doubled as of today to help combat a further rise. Thank you.
It’s a marker of early kidney disease.
I still would consult a nephrologist, just to have a baseline and treatment plan. Nancy50
Thank you. I plan on doing that.
My dad has some kidney issues. Its probably from high blood pressure. He was advised to loose some weight (possibly eat a couple vegetarian meals per week to help that effort) and watch his diet.
I am trying to lose a little weight now, but am not terribly overweight, but could lose about 20 pounds to be optimal. I am trying to cut high potassium foods and keep my salt intake minimal too. I have always loved salty snacks, but will try to curb them to a very rare treat. Thanks for your reply!
My kidney values are changing…how were you able to keep your DKD under control?
Also Is DKD the same as CKD?
@mesms01 CKD (chronic kidney disease) is exactly the same as DKD (diabetic kidney disease). By using the DKD acronym, it leaves no doubt as to what the cause of your kidney disease was.
I was followed by a nephrologist, and prescribed a number of different BP meds (ACE inhibitors, ARBs, Beta Blockers, CCB’s to mention just a few).
I also followed both a low salt and protein restricted diet for the past 26 years.
do you recall what your original symptoms of dkd were?
@mesms01 My original symptoms were elevated blood pressure, elevated serum creatinine, elevated microalbuminuria (protein in urine), and elevated total protein + albumin in 24 hour collection samples.
Thank you for sharing…my creatinine is increasing as my gfr declines. My nephrologist told me basically the same guidelines to follow but it is reaffirming to know that it worked for you. I’m on this!
Your numbers seem to be OK, is there anyway you can keep the numbers the same without taking meds. What are the statins for?
I hope someone with more knowledge than I replies to you, but speaking personally my doctor believes that virtually every diabetic should be on a statin to reduce cholesterol levels. I do not have lab values that indicate high cholesterol, but since keeping BP down is of great importance it is easier to do with arteries that do not have cholesterol plaque narrowing them. Welcome to the group Jimmy!
Hello Eileen,
I don’t have anything against your doctor but I beg to differ with him/her on Statins. I have 3 different Statin books on my Recommended Books To Read page and each one talks about how useless Statins are.
Here is a book called the Great Cholestrol Con by Dr. Malcolm Kendrick.
Dr. Malcolm Kendrick says that there are too many studies and Cholesterol is another one. The cholesterol hypothesis is wrong. Once everyone believed this and then Big Pharma cut in and made drugs and the drugs killed more people than it cured.
Check it out.
Jimmy.
@jimmyt2dm - I’m no fan of statins either.
Cholesterol is totally misunderstood, especially by the medical community.
Up-to-date science is challenging the notion of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ cholesterol. Cholesterol is essential for life.
@DaveKeto is one of the leading experts in this field. I strongly recommend his website cholesterolcode.com