It is important for diabetics to be committed to taking an active role in their disease management. The major complication of diabetes is damage to the heart and blood vessels, which can cause heart attacks, strokes, and poor circulation. Insulin is also involved in fat metabolism. Cholesterol at elevated concentrations tends to deposit in blood vessels, making them more narrow, thereby decreasing the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to tissues, and increasing the chance that a blood clot will form. Elevated blood glucose is associated with other cellular events that cause progressive narrowing of blood vessels.
Diabetics have an increased risk of eye disease .
The retina is a layer of blood vessels and nerve endings on the back wall of the eye. Signals generated in the retina travel to the brain where vision is generated. Blood vessels in the retina may swell and leak fluid, or abnormal blood vessel growth may occur. These changes can impair vision or cause blindness. Poor blood glucose control also increases the risk of cataracts and glaucoma.