Complications of Type 2 Diabetes - Reston Hospital Center | Reston, VA
Now Hiring for StoneSpring Emergency Center. Visit Our Career Center To Apply!
Back to Previous Page

Complications of Type 2 Diabetes

Image for type 2 diabetes/elderly There is little doubt that diabetes is a serious disease. There is also little doubt that people with diabetes can live long, healthy, happy lives if they keep their diabetes under control. But do you know that how well you manage your disease on a day-to-day basis can have a dramatic impact on your degree of risk for the complications of diabetes?

What Are the Complications of Type 2 Diabetes?

The complications of diabetes are both numerous and serious, including:

Heart Disease and Stroke

Diabetes is one of the major, modifiable risk factors for heart disease and stroke. If you have other risk factors, like high blood pressure and high cholesterol, you have an increased chance of developing problems with your blood vessels. A clogged or narrow vessel in your heart can lead to a heart attack, while the same problem in your brain can lead to a stroke. This means that people with diabetes must not only keep their blood sugar levels under control, but also effectively control their blood pressure and cholesterol levels, as well.

Vision Problems

People with type 2 diabetes are at increased risk for three types of vision problems: glaucoma , cataracts , and retinopathy (a general term for disorders of the retina caused by diabetes). Fortunately, most diabetes-related vision problems can be slowed or stopped if caught early and can be prevented with good blood sugar control.

Kidney Disease

High levels of blood sugar make the kidneys filter too much blood.  Eventually, the kidneys begin to leak, causing needed protein to be lost in the urine and waste products to build up in the blood. If diagnosed early, there are several treatments that may prevent your kidney disease from getting worse.  If caught later, kidney failure usually follows. People whose kidneys are no longer working need to have their blood filtered by machine (dialysis ) or a kidney transplant.

Neuropathy (Nerve Damage)

Diabetic neuropathies are a family of nerve disorders caused by diabetes. Neuropathy is the most common complication of diabetes and can be both painful and disabling.  Over time, diabetes can damage the nerves throughout the body. This may lead to numbness and sometimes pain and weakness in the hands, arms, feet, and legs. It may also affect other organ systems, such as the digestive tract and the cardiovascular system.
A common type of neuropathy is called peripheral neuropathy. When the nerves of your foot are damaged, for example, you may not notice sores (or ulcers) on your foot. These sores can lead to serious complications, like gangrene and even the need for amputation.
Glucose control seems to play a role in neuropathy. This means that the longer a person has diabetes, the greater their risk of developing nerve damage, particularly if they have difficulty controlling their glucose, cholesterol, and blood pressure levels. Fortunately, maintaining good blood sugar control seems to help prevent or delay neuropathy.

Skin Conditions

As many as 33% of people with diabetes will have some type of skin disorder during their lifetime. Indeed, skin problems are sometimes the first indication that a person has diabetes. Common, diabetes-related skin disorders include itchy skin, bacterial infections, fungal infections, and diabetic dermopathy (patches of brown, scaly skin). Fortunately, many of these conditions can be either prevented or easily treated if caught early.

Gum Disease

If you have diabetes, you are at higher risk for gum disease than people who do not have the disease. This is because diabetes may weaken your mouth's ability to fight germs. And while it’s true that anyone can get gum disease, having diabetes can make it worse and make it more difficult to control.

Frozen Shoulder (Adhesive Capsulitis)

Frozen shoulder affects about 20% of people with diabetes, compared with 5% of people without diabetes. A frozen shoulder, technically known as adhesive capsulitis, often begins as tenderness or soreness in the shoulder joint, usually following a bout with another musculoskeletal condition such as tendinitis or bursitis . As the shoulder becomes stiffer and more painful, people tend to use it less and less. Unfortunately, this eventually only adds to the stiffness and pain, creating a vicious cycle in which the shoulder’s range of motion decreases while the pain and stiffness increases.
Researchers aren’t sure exactly why diabetes is a risk factor for frozen shoulder. One theory is that high (uncontrolled) levels of glucose in the blood may contribute to abnormal deposits of collagen (a major part of the ligaments that hold the bones together in a joint) in the cartilage and tendons of the shoulder. This buildup can cause the affected shoulder to stiffen.

How Can You Lower Your Risk?

In addition to the above complications, there are many other conditions that have been associated with diabetes. While thinking about your long-term health may feel overwhelming, there are steps that you can take today to reduce your chance of future health problems:
  • Having regular checkups and contacting your doctor if you notice any new symptoms (like a sore on your foot)
  • Striving to keep your blood sugar under control
  • Striving to keep your blood pressure and cholesterol levels under good control
  • Not smoking
  • Getting the recommended vaccines (like the flu shot and the pneumonia vaccine)
  • Exercising regularly and maintaining a healthy weight
  • Asking your doctor if there are any medicines that you should take to prevent complications

RESOURCES

The American Diabetes Association http://www.diabetes.org/

National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/

CANADIAN RESOURCES

Canadian Diabetes Association http://www.diabetes.ca/

Health Canada http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/index%5Fe.html/

References

American Diabetes Association position statement: standards of medical care in diabetes 2006. Diabetes Care. 2006;29:S4-S42.

American Heart Association says diabetes is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke. Stroke News . September 11, 1999. American Heart Association website. Available at: http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=2833 . Accessed October 14, 2003.

Diabetes complications and related concerns. American Diabetes Association website. Available at: http://www.diabetes.org/type2/complications/default.jsp . Accessed October 13, 2003.

Diabetes and hearing loss. American Diabetes Association website. Available at: http://www.diabetes.org/living-with-diabetes/seniors/hearing-loss/. Accessed December 5, 2011.

Diabetes and oral health problems. American Diabetes Association website. Available at: http://www.diabetes.org/living-with-diabetes/treatment-and-care/oral-health-and-hygiene/diabetes-and-oral.html. Accessed December 5, 2011.

Diabetic neuropathies: the nerve damage of diabetes. National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse (NDIC) website. Available at: http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/neuropathies/index.htm . Accessed October 14, 2003.

Eye care and retinopathy. American Diabetes Association website. Available at: http://www.diabetes.org/type2/complications/retinopathy/default.jsp . Accessed October 13, 2003.

Eye complications. American Diabetes Association website. Available at: http://www.diabetes.org/living-with-diabetes/complications/eye-complications/. Accessed December 5, 2011.

Gross JL, de Azevedo, Silveviro SP, et al. Diabetic nephropathy: diagnosis, prevention, and treatment. Diabetes Care . 2005;28:176-88.

Heart Protection Study Collaborative Group. MRC/BHF heart protection study of cholesterol lowering with simvastatin in 20536 high-risk individuals: a randomized placebo-controlled trial. Lancet . 2002;360:7-22.

Kendall DM, Riddle MC, Rosenstock J, et al. Effects of Exenatide (Exendin-4) on glycemic control over 30 weeks in patients with type 2 diabetes treated with metformin and a sulfonylurea. Diabetes Care . 2005;28:1083-91.

Kidney disease (nephropathy). American Diabetes Association website. Available at: http://www.diabetes.org/living-with-diabetes/complications/kidney-disease-nephropathy.html . Accessed December 5, 2011.

Kris-Etherton PM, Harris WS, Appel LJ for the AHA Nutrition committee:Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Cardiovascular Disease. Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology 2003; 23:151-52.

Link for life: an interactive program on diabetes and heart disease. American Diabetes Association website. Available at: http://www.diabetes.org/info/link.jsp . Accessed October 13, 2003.

Lipid control in the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus: a clinical guideline from the American College of Physicians. Annals Internal Med . 2004; 140:644-9.

Living with type 2 diabetes. American Diabetes Association website. Available at: http://www.diabetes.org/type2/living/default.jsp . Accessed October 13, 2003.

Molitch ME, DeFranzo, Franz MJ, et al. Diabetic nephrophathy. Diabetes Care . 2003; 26 (Supp 1):S94-8.

Moor H, Summerbell C, Hooper L, et al: Dietary advice for treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus in adults. The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews . 2004;2.

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health website. Available at: http://www.niddk.nih.gov/ . Accessed February 8, 2006.

Peripheral neuropathy. American Diabetes Association website. Available at: http://www.diabetes.org/living-with-diabetes/complications/neuropathy/peripheral-neuropathy.html . Accessed December 5, 2011.

Prevent diabetes problems: keep your diabetes under control. National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse (NDIC) website. Available at: http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/complications%5Fcontrol/index.htm#daily . Accessed October 14, 2003.

Skin problems. American Diabetes Association website. Available at: http://www.diabetes.org/living-with-diabetes/complications/skin-complications.html. Accessed December 5, 2011.

Skyler JS, Bergenstal R, Bonow RO et al. Intensive Glycemic Control and the Prevention of Cardiovascular Events: Implications of the ACCORD, ADVANCE, and VA Diabetes Trials. Circulation. 2009;119:351-357.

Stroke. American Diabetes Association website. Available at: http://www.diabetes.org/living-with-diabetes/complications/stroke.html. Accessed December 5, 2011.

2/7/2008 DynaMed Systematic Literature Surveillance http://www.ebscohost.com/dynamed/what.php : Armstrong DG, Holtz-Neiderer K, Wendel C, Mohler MJ, Kimbriel HR, Lavery LA. Skin temperature monitoring reduces the risk for diabetic foot ulceration in high-risk patients. Am J Med. 2007;120:1042-1046.

2/7/2008 DynaMed Systematic Literature Surveillance http://www.ebscohost.com/dynamed/what.php : Lavery LA, Higgins KR, Lanctot DR, et al. Home monitoring of foot skin temperatures to prevent ulceration. Diabetes Care. 2004;27:2642-2647.

2/13/2008 DynaMed Systematic Literature Surveillance DynaMed's Systematic Literature Surveillance : For safety, NHLBI changes intensive blood sugar treatment strategy in clinical trial of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. NIH News. National Institutes of Health website. Available at: http://www.nih.gov/news/health/feb2008/nhlbi-06.htm . Accessed February 13, 2008.

2/21/2008 DynaMed Systematic Literature Surveillance DynaMed's Systematic Literature Surveillance : Major international diabetes study does not confirm increased risk of death reported by US trial. Action in Diabetes and Vascular Disease: PreteraAx and DiamicroN MR Controlled Evaluation (ADVANCE) website. Available at: http://www.advance-trial.com/static/html/virtual/contents.asp?P=39 . Accessed February 21, 2008.

4/10/2008 DynaMed Systematic Literature Surveillance DynaMed's Systematic Literature Surveillance : The ONTARGET investigators. Telmisartan, ramipril, or both in patients at high risk for vascular events. N Engl J Med. 2008 Mar 31 [Epub ahead of print].

6/18/2008 DynaMed Systematic Literature Surveillance DynaMed's Systematic Literature Surveillance : ADVANCE Collaborative Group. Intensive blood glucose control and vascular outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes. N Engl J Med. 2008;358:2560-2572. Epub 2008 Jun 6.

Revision Information

This content is reviewed regularly and is updated when new and relevant evidence is made available. This information is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with questions regarding a medical condition.

Copyright © EBSCO Publishing
All rights reserved.