Is Diabetes Lethal?

Diabetes is a chronic condition that influences how your system utilizes glucose. This disease affects over 20 million Americans of all races, of any age and of both genders.

Types

• Diabetes is defined as type 1 and type 2. Type 1 describes people whose systems do not make their own insulin. Type 2 describes people whose systems have become insulin resistant.

Effects

• People with diabetes are at higher risk for heart disease, blood vessel disease, eye disease and blindness, gum disease and tooth loss, kidney failure, stroke and nerve damage. Some of these are deadly conditions, which means that uncontrolled diabetes can kill you.

Identification

• Uncontrolled diabetes is when someone who has diabetes is not using diet, exercise and medication to keep their blood glucose at safe and healthy levels.

Prevention/Solution

• Besides diet, exercise and medication, losing weight can also help you lower your risk of deadly diabetes complications. Taking off 5 percent or more of your body weight can make your diabetes easier to control.

Warning

• One thing to watch out for with diabetes control is hypoglycemia. This is when your blood glucose level becomes too low and it can have consequences of its own, such as blackouts and seizures.