New target for treating prediabetes in patients with kidney
disease Insulin resistance, or prediabetes, in individuals with
kidney disease may be caused by the progressive retention of
certain compounds that are normally excreted by the kidneys in
healthy individuals, according to a study appearing in an
upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of
Nephrology (JASN). The findings might be used to prevent insulin
resistance in kidney disease patients, which could lower their
risk of developing heart problems. Cardiovascular disease is the
number one killer of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD),
and insulin resistance—a lowered level of response to insulin
circulating in the blood—is an important cardiovascular risk
factor in these patients. It's not clear why patients with CKD
often develop insulin resistance, but the retention of compounds
that are normally removed from the blood and excreted in the
urine may play a role. One such compound is p-cresyl sulfate
(PCS), a toxin that is produce