One in every three people born today will develop diabetes during their lifetime. In Illinois, 500,000 people are diagnosed every year. Although it is a lifelong, incurable disease, careful management can slow its progression.
Learning more about diabetes and following your care plan can greatly reduce your chance of developing complications. Complications can include:
- Eye problems that can lead to blindness
- Nerve damage, which can lead to infections and/or amputations
- Kidney damage, which can lead to kidney failure and dialysis
- High blood pressure, which can contribute to heart attack and strokes
- Stroke and heart disease (two out of three people with diabetes may die of heart disease or stroke)
- Skin complications and increased risk of infections
- Ketoacidosis, which are high levels of ketones that can poison the body
- Pregnancy issues (increased monitoring is necessary to prevent complications
