Diabetes can lead to these health issues: Key points on diabetes complications

India is called the diabetes capital of the world as close to 80 million people in the country are living with the metabolic disease. The number of people with diabetes is expected to increase to 135 million by 2045.


The number of people with diabetes has increased by 16% since 2019, the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) had released in its recent report.

The IDF report also says that 40 million adults in India have Impaired Glucose Tolerance (IGT) which means they are prone to developing diabetes. This is the second highest figure among all other nations in the world.


"More than half (53.1%) of people living with diabetes in India are undiagnosed. When diabetes is undetected or inadequately treated, it can cause serious and life-threatening complications, such as heart attack, stroke, kidney failure, blindness and lower-limb amputation. These result in reduced quality of life and higher healthcare costs, and lead to a greater need for access to care," the report adds drawing our attention to one of the least talked about topics of diabetes-- the complications arising out of it.

Diabetes puts the heart at a greater risk. High blood sugar compromises the ability of the blood vessels to allow the flow of blood. It damages the blood vessels and nerves that control the heart.


Other health complications like blood pressure, high cholesterol along with diabetes increases the risk for heart.

If you have diabetes, you should remain well informed about kidney diseases. The signs of kidney diseases are often ignored and by the time the symptoms get serious the disease would have already progressed to a life threatening condition.


Kidney disease is very commonly seen in diabetes.

Diabetes leads to a condition called diabetic neuropathy. In this case the nerves are damaged due to the high blood sugar level.


Due to the damage these nerves stop sending signals to body parts and hence impair the functioning of the body organs. One of the most common impacts of diabetic neuropathy is retinopathy.

Diabetes and depression look remotely connected to each other.


While biologically diabetes has a connection with the onset of depression, many times the misinformation around diabetes, the panic these myths create discourages and frustrates the patient.


It is needless to say that diabetes takes a toll on physical health and when this is coupled with stress and anxiety it hampers mental health too.

Diabetes can reduce the saliva secretion from the mouth causing dry mouth, which makes the mouth a perfect breeding ground for germs.


Due to diabetes the gums are likely to be inflamed and bleed often.


Also, due to diabetes, sores in the mouth will take more time to heal.

Due to nerve and blood vessel damage the blood flow to the sexual organs is reduced, this results in loss of sensation or difficulty to get aroused.


As a result of this the sexual drive is reduced in both men and women when the blood sugar level is high.

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