Macrovascular Complications Of Diabetes

This article goes in detail about the complications of Type 2 Diabetes, on how hyperglycemia damages the vascular system leading to microvascular disease and macrovascular disease. The complications of microvascular disease are diabetic retinopathy, diabetic nephropathy, and diabetic neuropathy. On the other hand, with macrovascular disease includes Cardio Vascular Disease (CVD), such as Atherosclerosis. Furthermore, the article gives recommendations of treating Type 2 Diabetes and the prevention of its health related complications with medication, screening, diet, and exercise.

The heart, nerves, blood vessels, kidneys, eyes and other organs can be negatively impacted by uncontrolled diabetes. The goal is to keep the blood sugar normal most of the time to avoid these complications.

Other symptoms such as damage to the kidneys, eyes, nerves, heart, and blood vessels can occur if the diabetes goes unnoticed for a prolonged period of time and glucose levels are not controlled (Novitt-Moreno, 1996).

Diseases such as diabetes also affect other organs of the body which can lead to other complicated diseases.

Diabetics have an insulin problem Diabetes is a result of insulin not performing its job correctly. Since insulin does more than remove glucose from the bloodstream, including producing proteins, storing fats, and other metabolic processes, diabetes can have severe consequences. If it is not treated properly diabetes can lead to heart disease, stroke, eye problems (including blindness), kidney failure, problems with teeth and gums, male sexual problems, nerve problems, and circulation problems. The circulation problems could result in foot or leg amputation (Reddy 2).

According to an article published by Mayo Clinic (source 4), there are many complications, some are even considered life threatening, that may develop in after a person develops diabetes. Doctors agree that the less-controlled your diabetes and the longer you have diabetes, the higher your chance of developing complications that result from diabetes. The following is a list of complications that could result from diabetes and they are gathered from both pages of the 4th source in the works cited list:

Long-term effects of diabetes can cause many serious complications: heart disease, stroke, blindness, amputations, and kidney disease and nerve damage. These complications are usually progressive and develop over time due to poor control of blood glucose levels. High blood glucose levels cause a narrowing of all the vessels, blockage, and high blood pressure.

Why do we treat diabetes? There are a number of downstream events associated with abnormal blood glucose levels. If glucose levels are managed properly, the complications associated diabetes can be controlled, and sometimes completely prevented. The main problem with having more than the normal amount of glucose circulating in the blood stream is the effect that excess glucose can have on both large and small blood vessels (DTC, 2004). Micro-vascular and macro-vascular problems associated with diabetes can be seen in the heart, eyes, kidney, legs and feet. Diabetic patients are twice as likely to suffer from a mycocardial infaraction, twenty-five times more likely to suffer blindness, and seventeen times more likely to suffer kidney failure compared to a non-diabetic (DTC, 2004). Because of great number of risks associated with abnormal blood glucose levels, diabetes is aggressively treated to improve the quality of life and prevent complications in patients.

If diabetes is not controlled, there are a lot of complications that can occur. It can result to cardiovascular diseases, kidney failure, loss of vision, respiratory infections, diabetic coma and a lot more. It is then important to follow the treatment regimen given to you strictly. It is also vital to know the different signs and symptoms of diabetes so that you will be able to get treated immediately. Further, you should know different diabetes recipes for better management of your

. It also proves to be fatal due in part to the development of other complications or conditions. Complications include, nerve disease, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, periodontal (gum) disease, hearing loss, erectile dysfunction, depression, and complications of pregnancy and many others. People with diabetes have higher rates of death due to cardiovascular disease and higher rates of hospitalization for heart attacks and stroke. Diabetes is a leading cause of kidney failure, retinopathy, and nontraumatic lower limb amputations (CDC,

Diabetes can affect the entire body. Two-thirds of adults with diabetes have high blood pressure, or hypertension. This condition is serious because it leads to an increased risk of stroke, heart disease, kidney and eye problems.

Diabetes is a disease where the body is unable to produce or use insulin effectively. Insulin is needed for proper storage and use of carbohydrates. Without it, blood sugar levels can become too high or too low, resulting in a diabetic emergency. It affects about 7.8% of the population. The incidence of diabetes is known to increase with age. It’s the leading cause of end-stage renal disease in the US, and is the primary cause of blindness and foot and leg amputation. It is known to cause neuropathy in up to 70% of diabetic patients. Individuals with diabetes are twice as likely to develop cardiovascular disease. There are two types of diabetes: Type 1 and Type 2.

Those who are diabetic may also be in risk of blindness (diabetic retinopathy) and nerve damage (diabetic neuropathy). Diabetic neuropathy can lead to numbness in hands and feet, foot ulcers, and eventual limb amputation (World Health Organization). Taking preventive steps can help to avoid many of the complications of diabetes.

Most patients who have diabetes for an extended amount of time may end up with diabetic neuropathy, which is damage caused to the nerves; it affects the peripheral nerves, autonomic nerves, and focal nerves. From the high blood sugar, it can destroy parts of the patient’s blood vessels, heart, and kidneys. If diabetes is not treated, it will almost always cause heart disease or kidney disease.

Diabetes is associated with an increased risk of developing primarily vascular complications that contribute to morbidity and mortality of diabetic patients. Poor glycaemic control leads to vascular complications that affect large (macrovascular), small (microvascular) vessels or both. Macrovascular complications include coronary heart disease, peripheral vascular disease and stroke. Microvascular complications contribute to diabetic neuropathy (nerve damage), nephropathy (kidney disease) and retinopathy (eye disease).