What other diabetes complications can occur with diabetes?

Diabetes is not just a problem with managing blood sugars. The complications of poorly controlled diabetes affect the entire body. Diabetes causes damage to the heart, kidneys, eyes, nerves and immune system. Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure, non-traumatic lower limb amputations and new cases of blindness in the USA. It is a major cause of heart disease and stroke with an increased risk of 2-4 times that of a non-diabetic person. It is the 7th leading cause of death in the United States. The effects of diabetes on the immune system lead to decreased protection from infections and poor wound healing. People with diabetes have increased blood pressure, periodontal (gum) disease and depression. The costs associated with Diabetes, in 2007 dollars, is $174 billion a year. People with diabetes have medical expenses 2 times higher than non-diabetics.

This is the reason that it is so imperative that people with diabetes get their blood sugars controlled and keep them in control over the long time. Studies such as the United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Study (UKPDS) demonstrated that with improved diabetes control, there was a decrease in risk of developing and reduction in the effects of diabetes on patients.

Some less other diabetes complications include:

Dental disease

• Periodontal (gum) disease is more common in people with diabetes. Among young adults, those with diabetes have about twice the risk of those without diabetes.
• Adults aged 45 years or older with poorly controlled diabetes (A1c > 9%) were 2.9 times more likely to have severe periodontitis than those without diabetes. The likelihood was even greater (4.6 times) among smokers with poorly controlled diabetes.
• About one-third of people with diabetes have severe periodontal disease consisting of loss of attachment (5 millimeters or more) of the gums to the teeth.

• Poorly controlled diabetes before conception and during the first trimester of pregnancy among women with type 1 diabetes can cause major birth defects in 5% to 10% of pregnancies and spontaneous abortions in 15% to 20% of pregnancies. On the other hand, for a woman with pre-existing diabetes, optimizing blood glucose levels before and during early pregnancy can reduce the risk of birth defects in their infants. 
• Poorly controlled diabetes during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy can result in excessively large babies, posing a risk to both mother and child.

• Uncontrolled diabetes often leads to biochemical imbalances that can cause acute life-threatening events, such as diabetic ketoacidosis and hyperosmolar (nonketotic) coma.
• People with diabetes are more susceptible to many other illnesses. Once they acquire these illnesses, they often have worse prognoses. For example, they are more likely to die with pneumonia or influenza than people who do not have diabetes.
• People with diabetes aged 60 years or older are 2–3 times more likely to report an inability to walk one-quarter of a mile, climb stairs, do housework, or use a mobility aid compared with persons without diabetes in the same age group.
• People with diabetes are twice as likely to have depression, which can complicate diabetes management, than people without diabetes. In addition, depression is associated with a 60% increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

These stastics and additional information can be found in the National Diabetes Fact Sheet, 2011 (http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/pubs/factsheet11.htm), the most recent comprehensive assessment of the impact of diabetes in the United States, jointly produced by the CDC, NIH, ADA, and other organizations.