After insulin was discovered, diabetes was no longer immediately life-threatening. Doctors expected that all the problems of the disease would disappear too. Unfortunately this was not the case. A new set of serious complications soon began to emerge.
Over many years, high blood glucose and high blood pressure levels associated with diabetes can have an impact. They can lead to eye problems, heart disease, kidney problems, amputations, nerve damage, and erectile dysfunction.
We have learned a lot about these complications. We’ve also learned how to prevent them from starting, or to slow them down once they’ve started. Perhaps most importantly, researchers are now searching for ways to prevent complications altogether.
We do know that the best way to prevent complications from diabetes is with proper management. Maintain the best blood glucose control possible, control blood pressure, stay at a healthy weight, eat a healthy diet, exercise regularly, and don't smoke. Regular tests to check for complications are important. The sooner complications are found, the sooner treatment can begin to prevent them from getting worse.
This is hard work. Because complications are very rare in young people, this threat rarely gets them to take action. Most young people, including those with diabetes, don’t often think about their health 20 years down the road. That’s where parents, family members, and health care professionals come in, to provide the foresight and support to help them stay on track toward a healthy future.
Also remember, these problems don’t affect everyone with diabetes. We also know much more now about how to reduce the risk than even 10 years ago.