The Pima Indians of Arizona, USA, are more likely to develop diabetes. One-half of adult Pima Indians have diabetes. Complications resulting from diabetes can be very serious and can also be delayed or prevented. Following are statistics about long-term complications of diabetes. Heart Disease and Stroke People with diabetes are 2-4 times as likely to die from heart disease and strokes as people who don't have diabetes.
Heart disease is the leading cause of diabetes-related deaths.
Eye Disease and Blindness Diabetes is the leading cause of new cases of blindness among adults aged 20-74 years. Diabetic retinopathy causes from 12,000 to 24,000 new cases of blindness each year. 25 percent of adult with diabetes, or about 1.6 million people, report that they are visually impaired. Kidney Disease Diabetes is the leading cause of end-stage renal disease, accounting for about 40 percent of new cases. Nerve Damage 60 to 70 percent of all people with diabetes show evidence of nerve system damage.