Blood and urine tests can help uncover signs of early kidney disease and monitor the condition. Blood electrolytes. When the kidneys are not working correctly, you can develop high potassium and low calcium, phosphorus, bicarbonate, which can affect your heart’s conduction system and cause muscle aches and other complications. Target blood pressure is defined as less than 130/80. Urine protein or albumin in the urine. Albumin is the main protein in the blood. When the kidneys become damaged, the holes in the filtering system of your kidneys become enlarged, allowing protein to leak into the urine. In the early stages of kidney damage, only small amounts of albumin (microalbuminuria) are found. This test is very important for people with diabetes because at this early stage of kidney damage, further deterioration can often be prevented by diet, exercise, and medications. GFR (glomerular filtration rate). This is a measure of how well the kidneys are filtering blood. An estimate of your filtering rate is determined by a blood test called a blood creatinine test, which measures the amount of creatinine -- a waste product -- in your blood. TREATMENT; Your doctor may also advise specific amounts of vitamins and minerals to take, such as calcium and the active form of vitamin D. With diabetes, it is important to make the right food choices so that your blood sugar levels stay under control throughout the day. With high blood pressure, a low-salt diet may be advised to control high blood pressure. Dialysis Once kidney disease has advanced to end stage, dialysis is needed to filter out waste products and remove excess fluid.