The digestive system breaks down foods into glucose, a form of sugar that serves as the main source of fuel for the body. Blood carries glucose to the cells but in order for cells to absorb glucose to use as energy, they require the help of a hormone called insulin. Conditions that inhibit the production of function of insulin can result in high glucose levels, defined by Lab Tests Online as a reading of 100 mg/dL when performing a fasting glucose test. High blood sugar levels can cause damage throughout the body.
Nerve Damage
Excess sugar in the blood can damage the nerves in the body. Although scientists continue to study the exact mechanism of how sugar damages nerves, several factors contribute to the damage. High levels of sugar in the blood, often caused by low levels of insulin, can cause abnormal fat levels in the blood. This combination can damage nerves over time. In addition, sugar in the blood means cells fail to receive the energy they require.
Nerve cells deprived of the required nutrients can become damaged. Nerve damage, known as neuropathy, can cause a variety of symptoms including numbness, tingling, pain, digestive problems, dizziness, urination problems, weakness and erectile dysfunction, as described by the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse.
Blood Vessel Damage
High blood sugar levels damage the walls of blood vessels. This damage causes the arteries to become stiff and hard which affects the ability of blood to flow freely. These areas of damage also attract platelets and fatty substances that accumulate, forming plaque, and restrict the flow of blood. Restricting the flow of blood causes an increase in blood pressure that over time can damage the heart and the kidneys.
Heart Damage
Increased levels of sugar in the blood cause the heart to work harder. When blood vessels leading to the heart become damaged the risk of developing coronary artery disease, characterized by the buildup of plaque, increases. Coronary artery disease deprives the heart from receiving enough blood therefore causing chest pain, known as angina, and increasing the risk for a heart attack.
Patients suffering from diabetes, a disease characterized by high blood sugar levels, are twice as likely to develop heart disease, according to the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse.
Kidney Failure
The National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse reports that diabetes and a high level of blood sugar represents the most common cause of kidney failure. The kidneys function to filter excess water and waste products from the blood to produce urine. To perform this function many tiny blood vessels travel through the kidneys. When high blood sugar damages the blood vessels in the kidneys it causes them to become leaky, allowing proteins into the urine. Over time the kidneys fail to function effectively which contributes to high blood pressure and heart disease.
