Prevention of

Complications
for Type II
Diabetes
Carla Hernandez, Holly Milner,
Stephanie Martinez, Shelby Welsh

Students from the College of Nursing

Type II Diabetes
● Diabetes is a chronic (long-lasting) health
condition that affects how your body
uses insulin to turn food into an energy
source (Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention [CDC], 2019a)

● More than 34 million Americans have

diabetes (about 1 in 10) and about 90-
95% of them have type II diabetes (CDC,
2019a)

● With type II diabetes, the body is either

insulin resistant or doesn’t produce
enough insulin to maintain blood sugar
Type II Diabetes
● Diabetes increases the risk of a variety
of serious health conditions that affect
the heart, blood vessels, eyes, kidney,
and nerves

● Complications from these conditions

can be prevented or delayed with the
correct management of diabetes and
lifestyle changes

● In this presentation we will be

discussing the management of (American Diabetes Associati
diabetes, potential complications and [ADA], 2020a)
Meaning of “high blood
sugar”
● “High blood sugar” occurs when there’s too much
sugar in the blood

● Insulin, a hormone made in the body, helps lower

blood sugar in people without diabetes by moving
sugar from the blood into the cell

● Insulin doesn’t work as well in those with type two

diabetes, so the amount of sugar in the blood
increases for diabetics
(ADA, 2020b)
Blood Sugar - What’s
Normal
● Keep your blood sugar within these
normal ranges
○ Before meals: 80-130 mg/dL
○ Two hours after meal: Below
180 mg/dL

(CDC, 2019b)
Complications and how they relate to
high blood sugar
● Why does high blood sugar
damage blood vessels and
nerves?
○ Blood vessels are like straws
that increase or decrease in
size depending on the body’s
needs
○ High blood sugar causes
vessels to decrease in size, or
contract, more frequently
○ Because the vessels are
smaller, blood pressure
(Silva,
Complications and how they relate to high
blood sugar
● Eye problems
○ Examples: Cataracts,
glaucoma, retinopathy
○ Reasons
■ High blood sugar can
cause tissue in eyes to
swell → blurry vision
■ High blood sugar can
damage tiny blood
(National Institute of
vessels that supply the
Diabetes and Digestive
eyes → vessels leak fluid and Kidney Diseases
Complications and how they relate to high
blood sugar
● Heart disease and stroke
○ If you have diabetes you’re 2x as
likely have heart disease or stroke
(CDC, 2020)
■ High blood sugar damages
blood vessels and nerves that
control the heart (NIDDK, 2017).
■ You may have other conditions
that raise the risk for heart
disease such as high blood
pressure and elevated LDL
(“bad”) cholesterol.
● These conditions can
Complications and how they relate to high
blood sugar
● Kidney disease
○ High blood sugar
damages cause the
blood vessels in the
kidneys to become
narrow or clogged
○ When blood vessels are
damaged, they can’t
filter waste out of the
body. This can lead to a
dangerous level of (NIDDK, 2017)
Complications and how they relate to high
blood sugar
● Neuropathy
○ High blood sugar damages
nerves and interferes with their
ability to send signals
○ The small vessels that supply the
nerves are also damaged, which
further decreases the function of
the nerves
■ This can cause pain or
numbness in your legs,
bladder or bowel problems,
and serious foot problems
 How to Prevent
Complications
A1C Checks
Try to get regular A1C
checks with your doctor.
Recommended to go
every 2-3 months. Try to
stay at a target range
(NIDDK, 2017). 01
Blood Pressure
It is important to ensure
blood pressure (BP) does
not exceed 140/90. Keeping
BP down can greatly
increase heart health and
keep your vessels healthy
(NIDDK 2017).
Stop Smoking/Don’t Start
This can help keep vessels
04 healthy. Smoking can narrow
blood vessels, making you more
at risk for developing heart
disease because the heart has to
work harder (NIDDK, 2017).
MAINTAIN
YOUR ABCs 03
Manage Cholesterol
Levels
02 You want to increase your HDL
“good” cholesterol levels, not
your LDL “bad” cholesterol
levels in your blood. LDL
cholesterol can clog your
vessels. HDL will help to
remove the LDL levels in your
body (NIDDK, 2017).
 Preventing
Exercise
How do I improve Complications
my diet? Manage Stress

How do I focus on a
healthy body, mind, Improve
and soul? Sleep

Fruits Veggies
Making Follow
Medication
Healthy Choices
Whole Grains Lean proteins Regimen

Beans, Nonfat dairy

Legumes Unhealthy food
choices
What are the things that I should limit or
Water Green tea stop? Sedentary
Lifestyle

Obesity
(CDC, 2020), (NIDDK, 2017), (Kolb & Martin, 2017)
 Preventing Complications -
Managing Diabetes
Self-Monitor Blood
Glucose
Using a
Glucometer
Making
Adjustments
Frequency of
Checking
Keep a Journal

Helpful to learn, Known as a blood Knowing blood sugar Ask your doctor when Keep a journal of your
especially when taking glucose meter. level makes it easier to to check blood sugars blood glucose levels to
insulin medication. make informed (NIDDK, 2016). understand if you are
How is it used? decisions about managing correctly.
Amount of medication possible
vs. blood sugar level. Glucometer can read adjustments. . Include time, date,
the blood sugar level level of sugar, dose of
Remember: that the body has in Making adjustments medication taken that
Have a level of 80-130 that moment (NIDDK, should be discussed day, and daily activity
mg/dL before meals 2016). with your doctor (NIDDK, 2016).
and less than 180 (NIDDK, 2016).
mg/dL two hours after
meals (NIDDK, 2016).
 Recognizing Uncontrolled
Blood Sugars Signs &
Symptoms
Why it
Happens
How to prevent it: What to do if it
occurs:

Hypoglycemia (low ● Shaky Taking too much Regularly checking blood Drink ½ cup of fruit
blood sugar) ● Hungry insulin. sugar levels. juice like orange juice,
● Sleepy Skipping meals. Eating regular meals and eat 1 tablespoon of
● Lightheaded Not eating enough snacks. sugar, or
● Confused/Irri carbs. Being physically active safely. eat 2 tablespoons of
table Drinking alcohol Working and following up with raisins.
without enough healthcare team. Check your blood sugar
food. again after 15 minutes.
Getting sick.

Hyperglycemia ● Feeling Not taking or taking Drinking water.

thirsty too little insulin. Maintaining ABCs. Exercising (not for all
( high blood sugar)
● Feeling tired Diet high in high cases).
and weak density foods. Healthy diet, physical activity, Limiting food
● Headaches Sedentary lifestyle. stress management. consumption.
● Urinating Limited or no Call your doctor.
often physical activity.
Conclusion
● Overall, after this presentation you should ○ Be aware of the potential
be able to: health complications of
○ Manage your blood sugars by diabetes:
recognizing what a high and low ■ Blood vessel damage
blood sugar is by using your ■ Eye problems (cataracts,
glucometer or understanding the glaucoma, retinopathy)
symptoms ■ Heart disease
■ Neuropathy
○ Make lifestyle changes to
prevent complications:
■ Maintaining your ABCs
■ Healthy Eating
■ Physical activity
■ Stress management
Additional Resources
● Community Resources: ● Online Resources:
○ Healthy Pima - Together 2 End ○ American Diabetes
Diabetes ( Association (
https://www.healthypima.com/t2ed) https://www.diabetes.org)
○ Pima County - Diabetes Program ( ○ Centers for Disease Control
https://webcms.pima.gov/cms/One.as - About Diabetes (
px?portalId=169&pageId=452168 https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/in
) dex.html
○ Arizona Department of Health )
Services - Diabetes Program ( ○ American Heart Association
https://www.azdhs.gov/prevention/tob - Diabetes Diet (
acco-chronic-disease/diabetes/index.p https://www.heart.org/en/health
hp -topics/diabetes/prevention--tre
) atment-of-diabetes/the-diabetic
○ El Pueblo Health Center - Health -diet
clinic ( )
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 References
American Diabetes Association [ADA]. (2020a). Complications. Retrieved from
https://www.diabetes.org/diabetes/complications

American Diabetes Association [ADA]. (2020b). Hyperglycemia. Retrieved from

https://www.diabetes.org/diabetes/medication-management/blood-glucose-testing-and-
control/hyperglycemia

Centers for Disease Control [CDC]. (2019a). About Diabetes. Retrieved from
https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/basics/diabetes.html

Centers for Disease Control [CDC]. (2020). Diabetes and your heart. Retrieved from
https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/library/features/diabetes-and-heart.html

Centers for Disease Control [CDC]. (2019b). Manage blood sugar. Retrieved from
https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/managing/manage-blood-sugar.html

Kolb, H. & Martin, S. (2017). Environmental/lifestyle factors in the pathogenesis and prevention of type 2
diabetes. US National Library of Medicine National Institute of Health [NCBI] (15) 131. doi:
10.1186/s12916-017-0901-x

Mayo Clinic. (2020). Diabetic neuropathy. Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-

 References
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease [NIDDK]. (2017). Diabetes, heart disease,
and stroke. Retrieved from
https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/diabetes/overview/preventing-problems/heart-dise
ase-stroke

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease [NIDDK]. (2016). Managing Diabetes.
Retrieved from
https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/diabetes/overview/managing-diabetes

Silva, M. (2016). High blood-sugar levels seen to affect how blood vessels contract. Diabetes News Journal.
Retrieved from https://diabetesnewsjournal.com/2016/01/20/high-blood-sugar-levels-seen-affect-
blood-vessels-contract/