Decreased bone mineral content has been described in IDDM but there is controversy about this finding particularly in NIDDM. In the present study we found that BMD is significantly lower in patients with NIDDM and microalbuminuria and normal serum creatinine than that in healthy controls (p=0.007). On the other hand, there is no significant difference in bone mineral density in NIDDM patients with microalbuminuria compared to those without microalbuminuria.