Clinical implications of the early detection of urinary microalbumin in diabetic patients using a new high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method.

We assessed urine albumin in 180 diabetics by conventional immunonephelometry (IN) and HPLC methods. Those with HPLC but not IN detectable albuminuria had higher BP, worse glycaemic control and more vascular events (p<0.05 for all) but received fewer vascular risk reduction treatments.