What is Diabetes?
Complications of Diabetes
Some possible complications of Diabetes include Heart Disease,
Stroke, High Blood Pressure, Blindness, diseases of the Kidney
and Nervous System, Amputations, and Dental diseases.
| Heart Disease |
Heart disease is the leading cause of diabetes-related
death. Adults with diabetes have heart disease death rates
about 2 to 4 times higher than adults without diabetes. |
| Stroke |
The risk for stroke is 2 to 4 times higher among people
with diabetes. |
| High Blood Pressure |
About 73% of adults with diabetes have blood pressure
greater than or equal to 130/80mm Hg or use prescription
medications for hypertension |
| Blindness |
Diabetes is the leading cause of new cases of blindness
among adults aged 20 to 74 years old. Diabetic retinapothy
causes from 12,000 to 24, 000 new cases of blindness each
year. |
| Kidney Disease |
Diabetes is the leading cause of treated end-stage renal
disease, accounting for 43% of new cases. In 1999 38,160
people with diabetes began treatment for end-stage renal
disease. In 1999, a total of 114,478 people with diabetes
underwent dialysis or kidney transplantation. |
| Nervous System Disease |
About 60% to 70% of people with diabetes have mild to
severe forms of nervous system damage. The results of
such damage include impaired sensation of pain in the
feet or hands, slow digestion of food in the stomach,
carpal tunnel syndrome, and other nerve problems. Severe
forms of diabetic nerve disease are a major contributing
cause of lower extremity amputations. |
| Amputations |
More than 60% if non traumatic lower-limb amputations
in the United States occur among people with diabetes.
From 1997 to 1999, about 82,000 non-traumatic lower-limb
amputations were performed each year among people with
diabetes. |
| Dental Disease |
Periodontal or gum disease are more common among people
with diabetes than among people without diabetes. Among
young adults, those with diabetes are often at twice the
risk of those without. Almost 1/3 of the people with diabetes
have severe periodontal disease with loss of attachments
of the gums to the teeth measuring 5 millimeters or more. |
What is Diabetes? |
Type 1 Diabetes |
Type 2 Diabetes |
Taking Diabetes on the Road
Complications of Diabetes
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