In addition to being the earliest manifestation of nephropathy, albuminuria is also a marker of increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality for patients with diabetes.
The presence of microalbuminuria is an indicator for screening for possible vascular disease and aggressive intervention to reduce all cardiovascular risk factors—elevated LDL, hypertension, smoking, and physical inactivity.
Preliminary evidence suggests that cholesterol lowering may also reduce urinary protein levels.

American Diabetes Association. Diabetes Care. 2001;24 (suppl 1):S69-S72.