• A morning urine sample is all it takes.
  • Easy to fill out form.
  • Mail it back to FlexSite in pre-addressed envelope included.
  • Call for your results or get them mailed back.
  • American Diabetes Association (ADA) says 20%-30% of individuals
        with diabetes develop kidney disease.
  • Licensed clinical laboratory results.
  • FDA cleared for consumer use.
Preventing Kidney Disease
According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), 20%-30% of individuals with
diabetes develop kidney disease.  This is in spite of the fact that it’s one of the most
preventable of all the devastating complications of diabetes.   The key is early
detection.  If it’s detected in the earliest stages, kidney dysfunction can be stopped or
reversed with treatment.  The best way to assure early detection is by doing a urine test
that measures the levels of a protein called microalbumin.  

Why Diabetes Damages Kidneys
When our bodies digest the protein we eat, the process creates waste products that
build up in the blood. In the kidneys, millions of tiny blood vessels (capillaries) with even
tinier holes in them act as filters. As blood flows through the blood vessels, small
molecules such as waste products squeeze through the holes and become part of the
urine. Useful substances, such as protein and red blood cells, are too big to pass
through the holes in the filter so they stay in the blood.

However, when blood sugar levels get too high, it can cause damage to the filters. This
puts extra strain on the kidneys and after many years, they start to leak useful protein
into the urine. Having small amounts of protein in the urine is called microalbuminuria.
Having larger amounts is called proteinuria or macroalbuminuria.

Over the course of time, some of the filters in the kidneys may collapse if the strain
continues to be too great. As the capillaries lose their filtering ability, waste products
start to build up in the blood. Finally, the kidneys fail. This failure is called end-stage
renal disease (ESRD). ESRD is very serious. A person with ESRD needs either to
have a kidney transplant or to have the blood filtered by machine (dialysis).

Microalbumin Testing
Early detection is the key to preventing kidney disease.  There are no symptoms in the
earliest stages, so it’s vital to test for microalbuminuria on a regular basis.   The
American Diabetes Association (ADA) and the American Kidney Foundation (AKF)
recommend that everyone with diabetes be tested for microalbuminuria annually.  
However, studies have shown that only one out of every 10 patients with diabetes has a
microalbumin test done annually.  This is due to a number of reasons including a lack
of awareness about the importance of the test and the inconvenience of the traditional
24-hour urine collection required by traditional laboratories.

Clearly, if you have diabetes, it’s worth having a yearly microalbumin test in order lower
your risk of developing kidney disease.  For more information on diabetes and kidney
disease contact the National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases

Links to more information about Microalbumin testing.
- Importance of Microalbuminuria Testing for Patients with Diabetes. - uspharmacist.
com
- National institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.    
- American Diabetes Association - diabetes.org
Kidney Screen At-Home(R) is a new,
convenient,  accurate and easy to use
microalbumin test kit.