Although this difference between the results at diagnosis and at follow-up could be a chance finding, it could also reflect that some factors are important at the time of diagnosis, i.e. in the untreated state, as opposed to the situation when the diabetes has been present for 6 or more years with various treatments, among which blockers of the renin-angiotensin system are frequently used and known to reduce levels of urinary albumin [20]. Here, REN is linked to diabetes mellitus.