A blood test must be taken for a proper diagnosis. People can have diabetes for 10 or 20 years without knowing it, she said. If the disease is not treated, life-threatening complications can develop. It also affects kidney function. About half of the people who are on dialysis here in New Mexico are individuals with diabetes.
Diabetes also causes nerve damage, which can lead to amputation.
Complications of diabetes can be substantially reduced with appropriated diet, regular exercise and regular blood sugar monitoring, she said. In some cases, people need medicine or insulin to control their illness.