Slightly elevated blood sugar linked to kidney damage risk

People whose blood sugar levels are in the borderline range – higher than normal, but not yet diabetic - might still have an increased risk of kidney problems, a Norwegian study suggests.

Compared to individuals with normal blood sugar, people with slightly abnormal glucose levels are more likely to have two problems associated with kidney disease – abnormal blood filtration and more of the protein albumin in the urine, the study found.

The questions, said Dr. Robert Cohen, an endocrinology researcher at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine who wasn’t involved in the study, are, “What represents abnormal `enough’ blood sugar . . .