Why Diabetes Matters

Diabetes can affect many major organs in your body, which can lead to an array of serious complications when left untreated. These medical problems include:

• Cardiovascular disease (CVD), or heart disease, including peripheral artery disease (PAD) and stroke
• Renal (kidney) disease
• Unhealthy cholesterol levels that can lead to atherosclerosis
• Metabolic syndrome
• Vision damage
• Nerve damage and numbness in the extremities that can lead to amputation

The good news is that diabetes is treatable and often preventable. If you have diabetes, you may be able to avoid or delay other health complications by:

• Working with your health care team to manage the disease, which may include the use of medications
• Knowing your numbers, including your blood sugar level, weight, blood cholesterol level and blood pressure
• Adopting a healthy lifestyle