Just like in any other illnesses, the first thing that people need is to be

informed and educated about the disease that may be prone to. In case of diabetes,
extensive knowledge about this can help people who are already suffering from it to
cope up and manage and can also help those who don�t have it yet to be more careful
and to avoid the illness.

But, aside from having extensive knowledge on the disease such as its causes,
symptoms, diagnosis and treatment, it also pays to know if there would be related
complications. This is to prepare one's self�emotionally, physically, and
emotionally�about the possibilities of coping not just with diabetes but other
complications related to it as well.

There are certain factors that affect people to be prone to diabetes such as age,
heredity and ethnicity. But regardless of the risk factors, the related
complications would just be the same. The following are just some of the
complications of diabetes that people who are prone to it must pay attention to:

1. HEART DISEASE AND STROKE. Experts say that people who have diabetes have greater
risks to having coronary heart diseases and to stroke compared to those who don�t
have them. In fact, these complications are the lead causes of death among
diabetics all over the world. People suffering from diabetes are prone to heart
diseases and stroke because the fatty deposits brought by drastic changes in the
body can block the arteries and leads to heart attack. Because of lesser amount of
insulin in the body compared to regular people, diabetics have higher incidence of
blood clotting and can also lead to high blood pressure or hypertension.

2. DIABETIC KIDNEY DISEASE. Among people with diabetes, kidney failure is the most
common complication because the blood-filtering units of the kidneys are being
damaged. Once the kidney has been damaged, important proteins are being along with
urine and eventually, the kidneys won't be able to remove the waste products
present in the blood anymore. The good thing is, not all diabetics experience End-
Stage Kidney Disease (ESRD) which can be life threatening. To avoid this
complication, you must stop smoking cigarettes and always keep the blood pressure
under control at all times.

3. DIABETIC EYE DISEASE. This refers to the group of eye problems that
diabetics�people with diabetes�may have as a result of the chronic disease. In
worst cases, this set of eye related problems such as diabetic retinopathy, damaged
vessels of the eye's retina, cataract, cloudiness in the lens of the eyes,
glaucoma, and increased fluid pressure inside the eye that is damaging to optic
nerve. All of these, when not treated immediately and now monitored properly can
lead to total loss of vision loss or blindness.

4. DIABETIC NEUROPATHY. Those people who are into smoking, drinking, and those who
have poor control with glucose are more prone to developing neuropathy compared to
those diabetics who are not into these vices and bad habits.

5. GASTROPARESIS. This disorder involves the stomach as a result of prolonged

emptying. Studies show that around 20 to 30 percent of diabetics suffering from
"type 1 diabetes" are more prone to this diabetes complication because it severely
damages the "vagus nerve" which is responsible for keeping the food moving through
person's the digestive tract. Although it is also diagnosed among those who have
"type 2 diabetes" the cases are comparatively lower.