Complications
People with diabetes have an increased risk of developing a number of serious health problems.
Consistently high blood glucose levels can lead to serious diseases affecting the heart and blood vessels, eyes, kidneys, nerves and teeth. Individuals living with diabetes have a higher risk of developing infections. Taking care of your health to avoid these complications is important. Maintaining blood glucose levels, blood pressure, and cholesterol near normal levels can help delay or prevent diabetes complications. Even with the very best care, Diabetes remains a leading cause of cardiovascular disease, blindness, kidney failure, and lower limb amputation. At Cell MedX, we’d like to change that. We’re committed to a world where patients can live their healthiest lives.
Cardiovascular & Kidney Disease
- Cardiovascular disease: affects the heart and blood vessels and may cause fatal complications such as coronary artery disease (leading to heart attack) and stroke. Cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of death in people with diabetes. High blood pressure, high cholesterol, high blood glucose and other risk factors contribute to increasing the risk of cardiovascular complications.
- Kidney disease (diabetic nephropathy): caused by damage to small blood vessels in the kidneys leading to the kidneys becoming less efficient or to fail altogether. Kidney disease is much more common in people with diabetes than in those without diabetes. Maintaining near-normal levels of blood glucose and blood pressure can greatly reduce the risk of kidney disease.
Diabetic Neuropathy & Retinopathy
- Nerve disease (diabetic neuropathy): diabetes can cause damage to the nerves throughout the body when blood glucose and blood pressure are too high. This can lead to problems with digestion, erectile dysfunction, and many other functions. Among the most commonly affected areas are the extremities, in particular, the feet. Nerve damage in these areas is called peripheral neuropathy and can lead to pain, tingling, and loss of feeling. Loss of feeling is particularly important because it can allow injuries to go unnoticed, leading to serious infections and possible amputations. People with diabetes carry a risk of amputation that may be more than 25 times greater than that of people without diabetes. However, with comprehensive management, a large proportion of amputations related to diabetes can be prevented. Even when amputation takes place, the remaining leg and the person’s life can be saved by good follow-up care from a multidisciplinary foot team. People with diabetes should regularly examine their feet. Diabetic neuropathy is the leading cause of blindness amongst US adults. (Source: American Diabetes Association, 2019)
- Eye disease (diabetic retinopathy): most people with diabetes will develop some form of eye disease (retinopathy) causing reduced vision or blindness. Consistently high levels of blood glucose, together with high blood pressure and high cholesterol, are the main causes of retinopathy. It can be managed through regular eye checks and keeping glucose and lipid levels at or close to normal.
Diabetes in Wound Healing
- Wound Healing: Individuals with diabetes have a greater risk of suffering from wounds that have difficulty healing. High levels of blood glucose caused by diabetes can, over time, affect the nerves (neuropathy) and lead to poor blood circulation, making it hard for blood – needed for skin repair – to reach areas of the body affected by sores or wounds. (Source: Diabetes UK; www.diabetes.co.uk)
(Source: International Diabetic Federation)