According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention too many American adults are unaware of "pre-diabetes" and do not take enough action to reduce their risk of the disease. Pre-diabetes is a condition in which blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not high enough to be classified as diabetes. This increases an individual's risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease and stroke.
 
More than 25 percent of Americans have pre-diabetes but, in 2006, only 4 percent of adults had ever been told they had the condition. There are five conditions indicative of pre-diabetes: pre-diabetes itself, impaired fasting glucose, impaired glucose tolerance, borderline diabetes and high blood sugar. Talk to your physician today to find out how you measure up!
 
Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney disease.

This article originally appeared in the December 2008 issue of Kidney Beginnings: The Electronic Newsletter.