I have just returned from my quarterly check-up, which included a urine check for albumin. It was a morning urine sample (spot sample). My endo mentioned that according to the stick test I had a very "slightly elevated level of albumin, putting it just over 20mg. I have been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes only three years ago and my control has been good ever since. (Highest A1c at 6.2).
The endo said not to be alarmed quite yet but to wait for another test in 6 months. He also mentioned that protein levels in the urine could sometimes be slightly elevated for other reasons, esp. in females.
My question to all of you would be, if anybody has had a similar experience with a test result like this despite having good control. How likely am I facing a diabetes related kidney complication and is there anything I could do to prevent progression, Since I am eating a moderately carb reduced diet, with eggs, fish, chicken and cheese playing a significant role on a daily/weekly basis, could it be that this protein-heavy diet has somehow "overworked" my kidneys or something?
Could I be genetically dispositioned to kidney problems, so damage was done despite good control / short diabetes duration?
I would be grateful for any suggestions and thoughts.
Thank you!
I would not be that alarmed by slight elevations. The test is very sensitive to minimal secretions of protein. Just riding with your bike to your endo might cause a positive result - any physical activity will do. If your doc finds a significant level in the future or he will find repetitive patterns he will ask you to collect your urine for 24h. The results from this urine collection are much more meaningful.
However this all changes if your doc will find additional reasons to be concerned like elevated creatinine levels in your blood panel. I had slightly elevated albumin levels like you and then they disappeared for years and came back and vice versa. Minimal fluctuations of the glucose level above 160 mg/dl will put stress on the kidneys. At this point I would say it is part of the deal. Perhaps there are other things you can do to keep your kidneys healthy like drinking sufficient amounts of water for example.
I've been a Type 1 for 2 years (zero c-peptide right out of the gate along with GAD-65 antibodies). My urine samples had always been fine and for the entire 2 years, my A1Cs have been in the 5s while eating pretty normally. Then about 9 months ago, I think it was albumin levels were slightly high, they retested a week later and they were higher yet around 9 I think, so they put me on an antibiotic for 3 days. After that, those levels have been fine ever since. So they suspected it was maybe a UTI even though I never noticed any symptoms. Hope this is the case for you.
In my last 3 lab tests over the course of almost a year, I have had slightly high readings also. I was particularly alarmed when the middle of the three came back significantly higher than the first. The most recent I just had done is closer to the first, so I think the second test was a fluke of some sort. I wouldn't get too worried based off of one test. More data over a bit of time would paint a more accurate picture of what is going on.
