diabetes: Complications

Diabetes affects the way the body handles fats, leading to fat accumulation in the arteries and potential damage to the kidneys, eyes, heart, and brain, and statins (cholesterol-lowering drugs) may be prescribed to prevent heart disease. It is the leading cause of kidney disease. Many patients require dialysis or kidney transplants (see transplantation, medical). Most cases of acquired blindness in the United States are caused by diabetes. Diabetes can also affect the nerves, causing numbness or pain in the face and extremities. A complication of insulin therapy is insulin shock, a hypoglycemic condition that results from an oversupply of insulin in relation to the glucose level in the blood (see hyperinsulinism).

Sections in this article:

• Introduction
• Complications
• Noninsulin-dependent diabetes
• Insulin-dependent Diabetes
• The Disorder
• Bibliography

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