What is renal diabetes?

Normally, the body excretes glucose into urine only when blood sugar levels are very high. In most healthy people, glucose filtered from the blood by the kidneys is completely reabsorbed into the bloodstream. However, in people with renal diabetes, glucose is excreted into urine even when blood sugar levels are normal or low, because renal tubular cells show defects that reduce glucose reabsorption. Some forms of renal diabetes are inherited. Renal diabetes has no symptoms and does not cause serious consequences. Routine urine tests detect glucose in the urine and diagnosis is made. If blood glucose levels are normal, treatment is not required.