Ninety to 95 percent of all diabetics are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. People over the age of 45 are more at risk of developing type 2 diabetes, but more and more young adults and even adolescents are now affected. Abdominal obesity, lack of exercise and a poor diet constitute risk factors for developing type 2 diabetes. If this condition is not managed adequately, type 2 diabetes can lead to a number of serious long-term complications.
Long-Term Complications
If your blood sugar levels are high for a period of time, it can damage your blood vessels and nerves and cause complications. The most common complications associated with uncontrolled diabetes include heart disease, stroke, renal failure, blindness, amputations, erectile dysfunction in men and recurrent urinary tract infections in women. These complications can seriously impair your quality of life, but you can greatly reduce your risk of suffering from these complications by keeping your blood sugar levels in check.
The Culprit: High Blood Sugar Levels
It is not diabetes that causes complications, but rather uncontrolled diabetes. High blood sugar levels are responsible for damaging the blood vessels and nerves in the heart, kidneys, eyes, legs, feet and every other organs of the body. This is why the American Diabetes Association recommends keeping your A1C, which corresponds to your average blood sugar levels, over a 3-month period below 7.0 percent. According to MedlinePlus, reducing your A1C levels by 1 percent can lower your risk of complications by 25 percent. Keeping your blood pressure below 130/80 mm Hg will help you further reduce your risk of suffering from the long-term complications associated with uncontrolled diabetes.
Low-Carb Diets, Blood Sugar Levels and Complications
Type 2 diabetes can be defined as an intolerance to carbohydrates. Blood sugar levels are kept within normal range with the action of insulin, which is released by the pancreas. However, although the pancreas usually secretes more insulin in people with type 2 diabetes, the cells do not respond normally to its action, resulting in high blood sugar levels. Therefore, it makes sense to reduce your carbohydrate intake to keep your blood sugar levels within the desirable range. A long-term follow-up study showed that people with type 2 diabetes following a low-carb diet were able to achieve excellent control of their diabetes, bringing their A1C from a baseline level of 8.0 percent down to 5.9 percent in only three months, according to the May 2008 issue of "Nutrition & Metabolism." The low-carb group maintained their A1C within the target range over time, with an average level of 6.8 percent after 44 months.
Special Considerations
If you have type 2 diabetes and think about going low-carb, discuss with your health care team first. Depending on your treatment plan, some adjustments may be needed, especially if you are on some blood sugar lowering medications or injecting insulin. Dr. Surender K. Arora, endocrinologist at the LSU Health Sciences Center Shreveport in Louisiana, states that low carbohydrate diets constitute a good option for people with diabetes in the July 2005 issue of "Nutrition & Metabolism," but warns about very low carbohydrate diets advocating a carbohydrate intake below 30 g a day before more studies are conducted in this area. (See Reference 6)
References
- North Dakota Diabetes Prevention & Control Program: What is Diabetes
- MedlinePlus: Type 2 Diabetes
- American Diabetes Association: Tight Control
- Metabolism Society: Position Statement on Diabetes
- "Nutrition & Metabolism"; Low-carbohydrate diet in type 2 diabetes: stable improvement of bodyweight and glycemic control during 44 months follow-up; Jörgen V. Nielsen and Eva A. Joensson; May 2008
- "Nutrition & Metabolism"; The case for low carbohydrate diets in diabetes management; Surender K. Arora and Samy I. McFarlane; July 2005
