Regardless of age or sex, diabetes patients high a higher rate of death versus those who do not. The leading cause of death in diabetics are stroke and heart disease. Therefore, it is important to reduce the risk of these conditions through medical efforts and necessary changes in lifestyle.
Type 2 diabetes increases the risk factors for a variety of other medical conditions, including: neuropathy, heart disease, stroke, and more. The most effective way to prevent these complications is through controlling blood sugar levels, and managing the risk factors through diet and exercise.
Heart Disease
This is the big one and there are strong links between high cholesterol, high …show more content…
Around half of the lower limb amputations that are performed in the US every year are related to diabetes. That works out to be roughly 44,000 diabetes related amputations every year in America. Around 85% of those cases started out with a foot ulcer.
Those at greatest risk are people who have a long history of diabetes, are overweight, and/or smoke. People who have been taking insulin for over 20 years are at the highest risk. The increased risk factor for these patients is due to the related conditions, including peripheral neuropathy.
Foot ulcers tend to stem from infections from injuries. Even the most minor infection can result in a severe complication. This is often compounded by the fact that the patient is unaware of injuries due to nerve damage.
Retinopathy
Diabetes is responsible for thousands of cases of blindness every year, and sadly, it is the leading cause of new blindness in those aged 20 to 74. …show more content…
This is due to blood vessel problems within the brain. For those who have had diabetes for years, memory and attention issues can occur under the age of 55.
Other complications include periodontal disease, fatty liver disease, hearing loss, carpal tunnel syndrome, uterine cancer, and colorectal