Diabetes Complications

Diabetes complications can affect almost every part of the body, including the heart, eyes, blood vessels, teeth, and skin. Examples of long-term diabetes complications include blindness, kidney failure, stroke, and sexual problems. Diabetes complications can even lead to loss of life. Often, long-term diabetes complications can be prevented or delayed by keeping blood glucose, blood pressure, cholesterol, and triglycerides in a normal or close-to-normal range.

 

Diabetes Complications: An Overview

Over 20 million adults have
 diabetes, a chronic condition in which sugar (glucose) levels in the blood are too high. Over time, this high blood glucose level can lead to diabetes compliations. In fact, diabetes is associated with long-term complications that affect almost every part of the body, including:
 
These problems can cause diabetes complications such as:
 
  • Blindness
  • Heart and blood vessel disease (known medically as cardiovascular disease)
  • Heart attacks
  • Stroke
  • Kidney failure
  • Amputations
  • Sexual problems
  • Nerve damage
  • Problems during pregnancy
  • Death.
     
Such diabetes complications can be prevented or delayed by keeping blood glucose, blood pressure, cholesterol, and triglycerides in a normal or close-to-normal range.
 
(Diabetes Complications Continued: Page 2)
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Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD