Diabetes is a condition in which there is too much glucose (a type of sugar) in the blood.
Over time, the surge and crash of dissolved glucose and insulin that occurs in diabetes can end up causing irreparable damage to many body organs and systems.
Possible long-term effects include damage to large (macrovascular) and small (microvascular) blood vessels.
Doctors refer to this as “end-organ damage” because it can effect nearly every organ system in the body.
Previous research has found that type 2 diabetes affects many major organs, including your heart, liver, nerves, feet, eyes and kidneys.
Also, factors that increase the risk of diabetes are risk factors for other serious chronic diseases, such as heart disease and stroke.
For example, diabetes raises your risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, a condition in which excess fat builds up in your liver even if you drink little or no alcohol.
This condition occurs in at least half of those with type 2 diabetes.
People with diabetes are at risk of kidney disease (nephropathy) due to changes in the small blood vessels of the kidneys. Kidney disease is painless and does not cause symptoms until it is advanced.
Nerve damage (neuropathy) is usually caused by high blood glucose levels.
Damage can occur to the sensory (feeling) and motor (movement) nerves of the legs and feet, arms, hands, chest and stomach, and to the nerves that control the actions of body organs.
People with diabetes may experience very dry skin due to damage to the small blood vessels and nerves. A common problem for people with diabetes is very dry skin on the feet.
There are also other skin conditions related to diabetes. High blood glucose levels over time can affect the health of the skin.
The skin acts as a barrier to protect our bodies from infection so it is important to keep the skin as healthy as possible. If the skin becomes dry, it can lead to cracks and possibly infections.
Diabetes-related eye problems include retinopathy, macular oedema, cataracts and glaucoma.
While most people who have damage to the eyes have no symptoms in the earlier stages, there are certain symptoms that may occur and these need urgent review.
The good news is that you can reduce the risk of the long-term effects of diabetes by keeping blood pressure, blood glucose and cholesterol levels within recommended range.
Also, being a healthy weight, eating healthily, reducing alcohol intake, and not smoking will help reduce your risk.
Regular check-ups and screening are important to pick up any problems early.
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For more information about diabetes, please see recent studies about the real cause of type 2 diabetes, and a way to reverse it, and results showing a new drug combo may help restore body’s ability to produce insulin, treating diabetes.
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