Young diseases

It is very important for kidney function to be monitored in diabetic patients. This is done both by monitoring blood pressure and a special test for protein in the urine. It should be done at least once a year.

How can Diabetes affect cardiovascular health?
#
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of early death among people with diabetes. Adults with diabetes are two to four times more likely than people without diabetes to have heart disease or experience a stroke. At least 65% of people with diabetes die from heart disease or stroke. About 70% of people with diabetes also have high blood pressure.

How are cholesterol, triglyceride, weight, and blood pressure problems related to Diabetes?
#
People with Type 2 Diabetes have high rates of cholesterol and triglyceride abnormalities, obesity, and high blood pressure, all of which are major contributors to higher rates of cardiovascular disease. Many people with diabetes have several of these conditions at the same time. This combination of problems is often called metabolic syndrome. The metabolic syndrome is often defined as the presence of any three of the following conditions:


* excess weight around the waist
* high levels of triglycerides
* low levels of HDL, or "good" cholesterol
* high blood pressure
* high fasting blood glucose levels

If you have one or more of these conditions, you are at an increased risk for having one or more of the others. The more conditions you have, the greater the risk to your health.

How can I be “heart healthy” and avoid cardiovascular disease if I have Diabetes?
To protect your heart and blood vessels, eat right, get physical activity, don’t smoke, and maintain healthy blood glucose, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels.


* Choose a healthy diet, low in salt. Work with a dietitian to plan healthy meals.
* If you’re overweight, talk about how to safely lose weight. Ask about a physical activity or exercise programme.
* Quit smoking if you currently do.
* Get a hemoglobin A1C test (HbA1c) at least twice a year to determine what your average blood glucose level was for the past 2 to 3 months.
* Get your blood pressure checked at every doctor’s visit, and get your cholesterol checked at least once a year. Take medications if prescribed by your doctor.

Each of these approaches still has a lot of challenges, such as preventing immune rejection; finding an adequate number of insulin cells; keeping cells alive; and others. But progress is being made in all areas.

How can Diabetes affect the eyes?
In diabetic eye disease, high blood glucose and high blood pressure cause small blood vessels to swell and leak liquid into the retina of the eye, blurring the vision and sometimes leading to blindness. People with diabetes are also more likely to develop cataracts – a clouding of the eye’s lens, and glaucoma – optic nerve damage. Laser surgery can help these conditions.


How can I keep my eyes healthy if I have Diabetes?
There’s a lot you can do to prevent eye problems. A recent study shows that keeping your blood glucose level closer to normal can prevent or delay the onset of diabetic eye disease. Keeping your blood pressure under control is also important. Finding and treating eye problems early can help save sight. It is best to have an eye doctor give you a dilated eye examination at least once a year. The doctor will use eye drops to enlarge (dilate) your pupils to examination the back of your eyes. Your eyes will be checked for signs of cataracts or glaucoma, problems that people with diabetes are more likely to get.

Because diabetic eye disease may develop without symptoms, regular eye examinations are important for finding problems early. Some people may notice signs of vision changes. If you’re having trouble reading, if your vision is blurred, or if you’re seeing rings around lights, dark spots, or flashing lights, you may have eye problems. Be sure to tell your health care provider or eye doctor about any eye problems you may have

How can Diabetes affect the kidneys?

#
Over many years diabetes affects the small blood vessels throughout the body. Damage may be caused to the kidneys as well as the eyes, skin, nerves, muscles, intestine and heart.

The kidneys contain tiny filters made up of small blood vessels and as these become damaged, protein leaks into the urine and the kidneys are less able to filter (purify) the blood properly.

The normal removal of excess salt and water from the body is reduced and toxic substances build up in the blood. Kidney failure caused by diabetes is called “diabetic nephropathy”.

If the nerves in the body are damaged by diabetes, it is called neuropathy, and this can affect bladder control, resulting in difficulty in emptying the bladder.

Urine can remain in the bladder and the pressure that builds up can back-up and damage the kidneys. In addition, if urine stays in the bladder for long periods of time, infection may develop because of the rapid growth of bacteria in urine that has high sugar content. In diabetic kidney disease (also called diabetic nephropathy); cells and blood vessels in the kidneys are damaged, affecting the organs’ ability to filter out wastes. Wastes build up in your blood instead of being excreted. In some cases this can lead to kidney failure. When the kidneys fail, a person has to have his or her blood filtered through a machine (a treatment called dialysis) several times a week, or has to get a kidney transplant.