Type 2 Diabetes: Complications
Over time, high blood glucose levels can cause damage to virtually every organ system of the body, including:
Achieving good control over blood glucose levels with insulin and healthy lifestyle changes is the best way to prevent or slow diabetes-related complications. According to the 2007 report released by the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE), an estimated three out of five Americans with type 2 diabetes (57.9 percent) have one or more complicatons associated with diabetes.1 However, the United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Study (UKPDS), a ten-year study of over 5,000 patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes, found that the diabetes-related complications of retinopathy, nephropathy, and neuropathy were reduced significantly in study subjects with type 2 diabetes who practiced intensive blood glucose control (i.e., a median A1C of 7%).2
In addition, for every percentage point reduction in A1C (a blood test that measures the three-month average of blood glucose levels), study participants achieved a 35% reduction in the risk of complications. The UKPDS also found that aggressive control of high blood pressure significantly reduced cardiovascular complications and diabetic retinopathy in people with type 2 diabetes.
SOURCES:
1 - American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists. AACE Medical Guidelines for Clinical Practice for the Management of Diabetes Mellitus © 2007. (PDF accessed 2/8/08).
2 - American Diabetes Association. "Position Statement: Implications of the United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Study". Diabetes Care 25: 28S-32S. (Accessed 2/12/08).