What are the complications of Diabetes?

Most of the complications of diabetes can be minimised by maintaining good diabetic control though some people still suffer from one or two of the most common ones, no matter how good their sugar levels are.

What are the complications?

This is a list of some of the most common ones:

• Cerebrovascular Disease and Stroke
• Heart Disease
• Kidney Disease
• Atherosclerosis - thickening of the artery walls
• Diabetic Retinopathy - a disease effecting the eyes
• Gastroparesis – delayed gastric emptying
• Diabetic Neuropathy - damage to the nerves
• Peripheral Artery Disease - a condition affecting blood circulation mainly to the legs and feet

How can I avoid them?

As I said before, good diabetes control is the key to preventing most complications. If you are having problems keeping your sugar within normal ranges discuss it with a member of your health care team.

Eat a varied diet that includes plenty of fibre and a sensible balance of carbohydrate, protein and fat. Your dietician will advise you on the best diet for you.

Get regular exercise and keep your weight under control. Being overweight can contribute to the onset of complications.

Do not smoke and if you do drink alcohol, do so in moderation.

Go to your doctor for regular check ups. Even if you are feeling fine it is a good idea to have your HbA1c (a test which shows your control over a period of time), your cholesterol and your blood pressure monitored.

Return to Gary's Diabetes Management from Complications of Diabetes

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