13% of American adults have it, and 40% of them don’t know it.
Diabetes
is sometimes called the gateway disease because it can lead to so many
other health complications. Here’s a look at the effect diabetes, left
unchecked, can have on your body:
- Brain – Depression strikes 15% to 20% of people with
diabetes, making it difficult to follow the healthy-living
recommendations that help keep the condition well-managed.
- Eyes – High blood glucose levels (and high blood pressure,
common in people with diabetes) can damage the tiny sensitive blood
vessels in the eyes, leading to vision loss and blindness.
- Heart – People with diabetes are twice as likely to develop
heart disease and stroke than those without diabetes. They also tend to
develop these problems at younger ages than other people.
- Stomach – Poorly controlled diabetes can lead to damage in
the nerves that help control digestion. Gastroparesis occurs when food
lingers in the stomach longer than it should, causing heartburn,
bloating, nausea, and vomiting.
- Digestive System – Nerve problems caused by diabetes can
cause changes in digestion, bowel and bladder function, as well as
urinary tract infections.
- Kidneys – Diabetes is the most common cause of kidney
failure, responsible for 44% of cases. With kidney failure, the body can
not rid itself of waste. While kidney failure builds gradually over
many years, ultimately people need either dialysis or a kidney
transplant to treat it.
- Sexual Organs – Both men and women with diabetes may see
changes in their sexual response, and between 35% and 50% of men with
diabetes develop erectile dysfunction.
- Legs – Diabetic nerve damage can lead to pain in the thighs, hips, and buttocks and cause weakness in the legs.
- Hands and Feet – About 60% to 70% of people with diabetes
develop nerve damage, most commonly in the hands and feet, causing pain
or loss of sensation, the latter of which can result in open sores,
ulcers and infections of which the patient is unaware.
Dr. Nick Nicholson says that “it’s not uncommon for people to be off
all diabetes medications within three months after weight loss surgery.
Some people don’t need medication less than a week after bypass
surgery.” He goes on to say that “The bottom line is, as things stand
right now, the only effective treatment we have for diabetes in obese
patients is weight loss surgery.”
