High Blood Sugar Could Cause Heart And Kidney Diseases
According to a study published in the Lancet Diabetes, persons who have slightly elevated blood sugar levels that's not high enough for a diabetes diagnosis may still have a higher risk of heart and kidney disease than individuals with normal or low blood sugar.
Diabetes has long been associated with an increased risk of heart disease. Plenty of previous research also ties diabetes to an increased risk of kidney disease.
For the study, researchers examined a nationally representative sample of 27,971 adults surveyed in four waves.
Researchers estimated the number of adults with pre-diabetes increased from 56.2 million at the start of the study period to 78.5 million by the end. By the end of the study, several people with pre-diabetes had risk factors for heart and kidney problems. 37 percent had high blood pressure, 51 percent had high cholesterol, 24 percent smoked, five percent had reduced blood filtration by the kidneys, and eight percent had elevated levels of the protein albumin in the urine that suggested impaired kidney function.