Making Glucose Control Your Goal

Many scientific studies show that the most effective way to decrease or eliminate the complications associated with diabetes is to keep blood glucose at or near normal levels. Most health problems that are associated with diabetes arise without many symptoms. Not knowing this simple fact can be a major roadblock to living a healthy life. If you don't know that a threat to your life exists, then how can you attempt to prevent it? Say you have 45,000 miles on your car and you want to drive your car 20 miles down a steep canyon. Tucked away in the glove box is the manual that states that the braking system should be serviced at 40,000 miles to prevent its potential failure. And say that you did not happen to read every page of your car's manual and did not know this particular fact. You would likely drive down the canyon completely unaware of the potential danger that lies ahead. Likewise, if glucose control is not your goal, potential dangers lie ahead. In this chapter we discuss the complications of poorly controlled diabetes.

The visual system (eyes), renal system (kidneys), cardiovascular system (heart), peripheral vascular system (blood vessels in the extremities), nervous system (nerves), gastrointestinal system (stomach and intestines), and immune system (infection control) are the bodily systems affected by poor diabetes control. Given that many of these systems interrelate, I discuss diabetes as it relates to vision, the kidneys, the heart and blood vessels, and the nervous system. The effects on gastrointestinal and immune system are discussed as well. These complications are summarized in table 2.1.

Table 2.1 Systems Affected by Diabetes

Diabetes and Your Vision

Diabetes and Your Kidneys

Diabetes and Your Cardiovascular System

Diabetes and Your Nervous System

Caring for Your Feet

Glucose Control