Diabetes is a condition in which blood sugar is excessively high. It can be managed by checking blood sugar levels regularly and using insulin to lower those levels (or consuming more sugar to raise them) when necessary. The National Kidney Foundation has estimated that one in seven US adults have kidney disease, which is also known as diabetic nephropathy. It is a common complication of diabetes, and about one-third of Americans with diabetes likely have kidney disease. High blood pressure is associated with diabetes, and is thought to promote diabetic kidney disease (DKD).