When one has diabetes, he or she will be monitored by testing blood sugar instead of the normal urine test. However, patients having diabetes and high blood pressure make them more susceptible to kidney damage. This is because studies have shown that hypertension and diabetes are the leading causes for kidney failure in United States and Japan, the two countries with the highest kidney failure rate in the world.

A urine test, in which a special test strip is dipped into a urine sample, will reveal if the urine has abnormal amounts of microalbuminuria or albumin, a protein. A positive result could be an early indication of kidney failure. Early detection can help the patient's condition through lifestyle changes and medication.

High-risk patients with diabetes and hypertension should be screened annually for microalbuminuria, which is hassle-free and affordable. Moreover, treatment is available if the condition is detected.

Moderate exercise such as walking or cycling to work every day, can help keep people with diabetes alive, though more vigorous exercise help, too. A Finnish research, published in 2004 in the American Heart Association journal Circulation, reported that moderately active work was associated with a 9 percent reduction in cardiovascular death and active work was associated with 40 percent reduction in heart or stroke death. People who ran, cycled heavily or jogged in their leisure time were 33 percent less likely to die as compared to 17 percent drop in risk for moderate exercisers.

The study reviewed data on 3,316 people aged 25 to 74 who had type-2 diabetes who had filled out extensive surveys on their health and leisure habits. They defined light commuting as using motorized transportation, moderate commuting as walking or bicycling up to 29 minutes daily and active commuting as walking or cycling 30 minutes or more a day. Light leisure activity included reading or watching television while moderate activity included more than 4 hours each week of walking, cycling or light gardening.

Type-2 diabetes can be prevented or at least postponed by physical activity and a healthy diet. These people, therefore, need to look for ways to build activity into their work, their commuting to and from work and also their leisure time. Physical activity during commuting is one of the easiest, least-time consuming ways to promote health.

Hopefully the above finding could change the perspective of people who too often think only of leisure-time physical training or other aerobic activities.

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