According to 2007 data from the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse, 23.6 million people, or 7.8 percent of the United States population, have diabetes. Of those people, 5.7 million remain undiagnosed. Undiagnosed or untreated diabetes can lead to serious consequences.
Heart Disease and Stroke
The risk of stroke and heart disease is two to four times higher in people with diabetes, according to the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse. Diabetes plays a significant role in the injury of the endothelium, or lining of the blood vessels. Injury to this lining increases the risk of atherosclerosis, or the deposit of fatty substances in the blood vessels causing blockages. MayoClinic.com states that 75 percent of people with diabetes will die of some blood vessel-related disease such as heart disease or stroke. Narrowing of the coronary arteries in patients with diabetes and high blood pressure accounts for significant morbidity and mortality in patients with diabetes.
Blindness
There are 12,000 to 24,000 new cases of blindness each year due to diabetes according to 2007 information from the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse. Diabetes can damage the blood vessels of the retina and lead to progressive blindness. Diabetic damage to the retina is the leading cause of all new cases of blindness among adults ages 20 to 74. There is no cure for the damage once it is done. Diabetes also increases the chances of developing glaucoma or cataracts.
Kidney Failure
Damage to the kidneys results in 178,000 people yearly living on chronic dialysis or waiting for a kidney transplant, according to 2007 data from the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse. Many patients with diabetes who need kidney transplants will not receive them because of a shortage of donors. Diabetes affects the tiny blood vessels that filter the waste products from the body. When these vessels become damaged, the body can no longer get rid of toxins. Without dialysis, patients will die.
Diabetic Neuropathy
Diabetes damages nerves, and 60 to 70 percent of people with diabetes have some lack of sensation in their lower extremities. Patients with decreased sensation in their feet often suffer some kind of injury and don’t feel it. This can lead to serious infections in diabetics. Diabetes is a major contributing cause of amputations in the United States.
