Diabetes  can affect many parts of the body, including the kidneys. In healthy kidneys, many tiny blood vessels filter waste products from your body. The blood vessels have holes that are big enough to allow tiny waste products to pass through into the urine but are still small enough to keep useful products (such as protein and red blood cells) in the blood. High levels of sugar in the blood can damage these vessels if diabetes is not well controlled. This can cause chronic kidney disease, which is also called nephropathy (say: nef-rah-puh-thee). If the damage is severe enough, the kidney filtering process, electrolyte and fluid balance could be impaired, and eventually, these patients may require dialysis to maintain these vital functions.

Diabetic nephropathy usually causes no symptoms, and people who have the condition often produce normal amounts of urine. To detect diabetic nephropathy, healthcare providers rely on tests that measure protein levels in the urine and blood tests to evaluate the level of kidney function.

When the kidneys are working normally, they prevent protein from leaking into the urine, so finding protein in the urine (proteinuria) is a sign that the kidneys are not functioning normally.  Patients with diabetic nephropathy may also have high blood pressure, which may also contribute to the abnormalities in kidney function.