Heart disease is the one exception. The best defense, she says, is doing everything you can to protect your heart. In short, live a healthy lifestyle. But the reality is cardiovascular disease is two to four times more common in diabetics and is present in 75 percent of diabetes-related deaths. Diabetes also is the leading cause of new cases of blindness among adults 20 to 74 years of age.
Diabetes can damage the blood vessels in the retina and steal sight.
But there are few symptoms in the early stages. By the time blurred vision occurs, damage may already have been done. This blood vessel damage, called retinopathy, causes 12,000 to 24,000 cases of blindness each year. Diabetics should have an eye exam at least once a year. Dr. Linda Bartram, a Bremerton kidney specialist, says the kidneys also are under attack from the disease.