Diabetes and kidney disease are extremely serious diseases, and both can be fatal if left untreated. It is possible to contract kidney disease from diabetes. In order to better understand the connection, it is important to understand diabetes and the role the kidneys play with this disease.

Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic condition that occurs when the body is unable to produce enough insulin (type 1 diabetes) or when the cells are unable to utilize insulin (type 2 diabetes). The insulin hormone is used by the fat and muscle cells in the body to help absorb and metabolize blood glucose.

When the cells in the body are unable to absorb and metabolize blood sugar, the glucose levels rise and this can cause serious damage to the body. This is when the kidneys try to pick up the slack to rid the blood of the excess sugar.

The kidneys are the …