LONG-TERM COMPLICATIONS OF DIABETES

A. Diabetic macrovascular complications: result from changes in the medium

to large blood vessels. Blood vessel walls thicken, sclerose, and become
occluded by plaque that adheres to the vessel walls. Eventually, blood flow
is blocked. These atherosclerotic changes tend to occur more often and at
an earlier age in patients with diabetes.

B. Diabetic microvascular disease (or microangiopathy) is characterized by

capillary basement membrane thickening. The basement membrane
surrounds the endothelial cells of the capillary. Researchers believe that
increased blood glucose levels react through a series of biochemical
responses to thicken the basement membrane to several times its normal
thickness. Two areas affected by these changes are the retina and the
kidneys (Grossman & Porth, 2014).

C. Diabetic neuropathy refers to a group of diseases that affect all types of

nerves, including peripheral (sensorimotor), autonomic, and spinal nerves.
The disorders appear to be clinically diverse and depend on the location of
the affected nerve cells. The prevalence increases with the age of the
patient and the duration of the disease (NIDDK, 2013b).