Heart disease is the leading cause of diabetes-related deaths.
Heart disease and stroke are 2 to 4 times more common in persons with diabetes. Persons with diabetes have heart disease death rates nearly 2 to 4 times higher than in persons without diabetes. Hypertension High blood pressure affects 60-65 percent of people with diabetes. Periodontal disease occurs among 30 percent of people 19 years old or older with type 1 diabetes. Diabetic retinopathy causes from 12,000 to 24,000 new cases of blindness each year.