Diabetes is a state of sustained elevated blood sugar, and is a complex disease that affects almost 30 million people in the US. However, diabetes isn’t just about having too much sugar in the system. It carries with it multiple life-threatening complications that occur when the blood sugar elevation is left unchecked. It is of utmost importance to never ignore this disease once you are diagnosed, and if you have prediabetes, it is equally important to do everything possible to prevent the onset of diabetes.

There are short-term complications of diabetes and long-term complications.

Short-term Complications

Diabetics run the risk of extreme elevations of blood sugar levels. Levels can reach in excess of 600 mg/dL, which can cause diabetic hyperosmolar syndrome and can lead to coma, permanent brain damage, and death. Continue reading →

There are many factors that go into the absolute value of your blood sugar—how much you eat, what kinds of food you eat, and how much you exercise, for example. When the blood sugar goes up in a normal person, the Islet cells in the pancreas put out insulin to lower the blood sugar to normal values. When food is taken in, the blood sugar goes back up. The idea is to keep the blood sugar level within a specific range, usually 80-180 mg/dL. Continue reading →