According to the American Diabetes Association, or ADA, diabetes increases a person's risk for many serious health problems, including end organ damage, heart disease and foot conditions. The complications or characteristics of the disease will manifest if a person does not manage their condition properly. However, with the proper treatment and lifestyle modifications, many diabetics can prevent or delay the onset of serious health complications.
End-Organ Damage
One of the most serious characteristics or complications of diabetes is end-organ damage, which affects the major organs fed by the circulatory system. According to a 2003 article in the journal "Internist," diabetes-associated conditions can significantly reduce a person's quality of life and increase mortality. The progression of diabetes is characterized by peripheral arterial occlusive disease and insufficient brain blood flow, along with an increased risk damage to the kidneys, nerves and the retinas of the eyes. Left unchecked, diabetes can cause chronic renal failure, blindness and numbness in the lower extremities. A diabetic under the care of a physician will periodically have his organ functions evaluated to track the disease progression.
Heart Disease
According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases or NIDDK—a division of the National Institutes of Health—having diabetes or pre-diabetes increases a person's risk for heart disease and stroke. The NIDDK states that diabetes is a disorder of the metabolism, or the way a person's body uses digested food for energy. The food a person eats gets broken down into glucose, and glucose enters the bloodstream. Once in the bloodstream, glucose travels to the body's cells, where it's used for energy. A hormone called insulin—produced by the pancreas—needs to be present before glucose can enter the body's cells. In diabetics, the pancreas does not make the proper amount of insulin, the cells do not use insulin effectively or both conditions can exist. Consequently, significant amounts of glucose remain in the blood while the cells are deprived of their fuel source. Over time, high concentrations of glucose in the bloodstream damage nerves and blood vessels, contributing to complications such as heart disease and stroke.
Foot Conditions
A significant complication of diabetes is the development of foot problems. The ADA recognizes six principle foot complications associated with diabetes, including neuropathy or nerve damage, skin changes, calluses, foot ulcers and poor circulation. For a diabetic, even normal foot problems can worsen and progress to more serious complications and can even lead to amputation. Foot problems tend to happen with greater frequency in people, such as diabetics, who have decreased foot sensation due to nerve damage. Decreased foot sensation lessens a person's ability to feel and adapt to pain, heat, cold or injuries. Impaired circulation to the foot or structural changes of the feet and toes can also lead to long-term foot problems. Cuts or other wounds on the foot heal slowly and can become open sores. The ADA states that smoking is one of the most significant contributors to foot-related problems in diabetics, and that many diabetics who require a foot amputation are smokers.
