OBJECTIVE: The purpose of our study was to detect the frequency of microalbuminuria & its relation to the duration of diabetes mellitus, whether microalbuminuria develops earlier or late in the natural course of the disease. STUDY DESIGN: Descriptive study. PLACE & DURATION: Liaquat University Hospital Jamshoro. From July 2002 to December 2003. SUBJECTS & MATERIAL: Sample size was 103 patients admitted in the ward or attending the OPD. Data collection procedure was convenient type. After written consent of the patient, the data containing history, examination & laboratory, values of blood sugar (fasting =126mg/dl & 211 postprandial =200 mg/dl( along with other necessary tests, was entered in a proforma. Patients` glycemic control was checked by HbA1C microalbuminuria by Micral 1/ test kit. Microalbunzinuria was confirmed by 24th urine for protein. Data analysis was done by using SPSS 10.0 statistical software. Results were finally checked by test of significance. RESULTS: Among the sample size of 103 patients microalbuminuria was commonly positive in patients with duration of diabetic mellitus from 1 to 12 years (in type 2 DM) & 5 to 16 years (in type 1 DM). P value by chi square method for the correlation between duration of DM & microalbuminuria came out to be 0.001. Microalbuminuria was also positive in significant number (86.95%) of poor glycemic control patients (p=0.005). CONCLUSION: Microalbuminria develops earlier in diabetic population of our study as compare to Europe & USA. Poor glycemic control is a significant risk factor for development of microalbuminuria.