Q: I am a 43 years old male, diabetic for the last 11 years. My latest report states that albumin is 0.69mg/24 hrs. Is this normal? If not, please suggest proper treatment.

A:Urine always contains small amount of proteins [images]. Large amount of proteins disproportionate to other normal constituents, like creatinine, are better indicators of a pathology when in doubt. A urine sample containing more than 30 milligrams of albumin for each gram of creatinine (30 mg/g) is a warning that there may be a problem. This is termed Protein/Creatinine Ratio. The 2005 UK Chronic Kidney Disease guidelines state that the ratio is a better test than 24 hours urinary protein measurement. Proteinuria is defined as a Protein : Creatinine ratio >45 mg/mmol (which is equivalent to Albumin / Creatinine ratio of >30 mg/mmol).