Evidence for increased risk of prediabetes in the uremic patient

Abstract

A prediabetic state is defined as a higher than normal blood glucose level but not yet high enough to meet the diagnosis of overt diabetes mellitus. While patients with advanced diabetic nephropathy are vulnerable to hypoglycemia, we believe that there is sufficient evidence that uremic nondiabetic patients are susceptible to hyperglycemia, which calls for more attention that uremia is a prediabetic state. It is, therefore, intriguing to identify these uremic factors which lead to prediabetes. Such a study may have significance to improve uremic patients' outcomes. To raise the awareness of the uremic prediabetic state, this review will, therefore, elaborate on the analysis of factors important in the development of prediabetes in uremia and will delineate whether their modification leads to an improved patient outcome.