In suspected diabetes mellitus, which urine analyte would be increased?

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Multiple Choice

In suspected diabetes mellitus, which urine analyte would be increased?

When blood sugar runs high over time, the kidneys’ filtering units (glomeruli) get damaged and start letting albumin slip into the urine. The first, most sensitive sign of this diabetic kidney involvement is microalbuminuria—small amounts of albumin detected in urine. Because microalbumin captures early glomerular injury before larger amounts of protein appear, it is the best indicator of early diabetic nephropathy in suspected diabetes. Urine glucose can appear when glucose levels exceed the kidney’s reabsorption threshold, but that isn’t as reliable a marker of kidney damage and isn’t present in all cases. Urine protein reflects later, more extensive protein leakage, and urine creatinine by itself isn’t a marker of diabetic damage (it varies with muscle mass and hydration).

When blood sugar runs high over time, the kidneys’ filtering units (glomeruli) get damaged and start letting albumin slip into the urine. The first, most sensitive sign of this diabetic kidney involvement is microalbuminuria—small amounts of albumin detected in urine. Because microalbumin captures early glomerular injury before larger amounts of protein appear, it is the best indicator of early diabetic nephropathy in suspected diabetes. Urine glucose can appear when glucose levels exceed the kidney’s reabsorption threshold, but that isn’t as reliable a marker of kidney damage and isn’t present in all cases. Urine protein reflects later, more extensive protein leakage, and urine creatinine by itself isn’t a marker of diabetic damage (it varies with muscle mass and hydration).

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