Diabetes: A daily battle against complications
For the average person, glucose is a simple sugar found naturally in the blood. For the 16 million people in the United States living with diabetes, elevated glucose is the enemy in a daily battle against life threatening and disabling complications.
Diabetes is a disease in which the body does not produce or properly use insulin, the hormone that converts food into energy. As a result, glucose builds up in the blood stream and damages small and large blood vessels unless it is controlled. "The risks are directly related to how well the disease is controlled," explains
Jonathan Anolik, MD, chief of endocrinology at Virtua Memorial Hospital. "Diabetes requires aggressive care from the onset to help delay or even stop complications."
The leading complication for people with diabetes is heart disease. "Eighty percent will suffer from some form of cardiovascular disease," says Dr. Anolik. He explains that excess glucose can lead to a build up of plaque inside large blood vessels. As a result, fatty substances and cholesterol fill these plaques and inflammation develops where the plaque meets the blood vessel wall. This can cause the plaque to rupture, blocking the artery. These blockages can lead to a heart attack or stroke.
The kidneys are also vulnerable to diabetes. These bean-shaped organs contain millions of tiny blood vessels called capillaries that act as filters to remove waste from the blood. High levels of glucose force excess blood through these small filters which, over time, cause the capillaries to leak or even collapse. As a result, chronic renal insufficiency can develop where waste products build up in the blood. This eventually leads the kidneys to fail in what is known as end-stage renal disease.
According to the American Diabetes Association, diabetes is the leading cause of blindness for people between the ages of 20 and 74. An overabundance of glucose in the blood can cause the small blood vessels in the back of the eye to balloon into pouches. This can progress to a more serious condition where damaged vessels close and new, weaker ones take their place. These weak vessels leak blood, which can block vision and develop scar tissue causing irreversible damage known as retinopathy.
Joseph Fallon, MD, chief of endocrinology at Virtua West Jersey Hospitals, explains that most people with diabetes can live a healthy life by strictly controlling blood sugars through medications, proper diet, exercise and home glucose monitoring. "It's important for individuals with diabetes to make a daily effort toward controlling their disease. Taking one day at a time, without the pressure of being perfect, has proven to help patients make drastic gains in diabetes management."