Diabetes Can Become a Mortal Condition
Abstract
Diabetes is a deadly condition because it involves the body’s inability to control sugar levels. It is also a risk factor for other deadly conditions such as diabetic coma, high blood pressure, and cardiovascular complications. Researchers have concluded that people with diabetes are likely to have heart attacks or stroke than those without. There exist varying ways through which one can lower their chances of becoming diabetic. They include loss of weight, engaging in physical exercise, and engaging in regular check-ups to perform blood tests. The deadly nature of severe diabetes cannot be ignored; individuals are advised against consuming unhealthy foods and physical inactivity because the factors increase the chances of becoming diabetic. Type I diabetes is triggered by the immune system’s destruction of insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreases, which exposes the body to environmental factors (American Diabetes Association, 2020). Genes trigger diabetes by increasing a person’s chances of being obese or overweight. The different complications related to diabetes are associated with high mortality, which makes diabetes a mortal condition.
Diabetes Increases the Risk of Stroke
Being diagnosed with diabetes is a bad news that can change your lifestyle completely, but an even worse fact is the rapid speed with which this disease can take you to the end of your life. Stroke is a common cardiovascular disease associated with risk factors such as smoking and diabetes. The condition affects blood vessels causing pathological changes that affect cerebral vessels resulting in stroke (American Diabetes Association, 2020). It is essential to note that diabetes, which is a modifiable risk factor for stroke is deadly because it exposes individuals to thickening of the capillary basal membrane, systemic inflammation, vascular endothelial dysfunction, and increased early-age arterial stiffness. Arterial stiffness influences the pressure and rate of blood flow, which, in turn, affects the ability of the heart to pump blood leading to increased chances of stroke. Decreased elasticity of arteries means that blood at high pressure is likely to damage blood vessels (Chen, Ovbiagele & Feng, 2020). This can be deadly in situations where access to safe and quality medical attention is hard. Nitric oxide (NO) is an important gas in supporting vascular endothelial function; on this subject, the presence of type I and II diabetes affects the activation of NO, which can cause a cascade of atherosclerosis (Chen, Ovbiagele & Feng, 2020). The condition results in plaque building along arterial walls to the extent of hindering smooth blood flow.
Inflammation of arteries contributes to the development of atherosclerosis plaque, which affects the functionality of the heart, risking congestive heart failure. Uncontrolled diabetes mellitus increases the risk of developing both hemorrhagic and ischemic stroke (Chen, Ovbiagele & Feng, 2020). The clinical patterns linking diabetes mellitus with stroke indicates that signs such as dysarthria and limb weakness are related to lacunar cerebral infarction. Patients with diabetes and poorly controlled sugar levels experience high stress and impaired glucose metabolism. Despite the stress and health complications that come with stroke, hyperglycemia affects the brain leading to poor exacerbation of hematoma expansion and neuronal death around the hematoma (Chen, Ovbiagele & Feng, 2020). Without proper adherence to clinical guidelines, management of poststroke hyperglycemia can hinder recovery resulting in stroke recurrence.
Diabetes Increases the Risk of Heart Disease
Individuals with diabetes have a higher risk of developing heart disease, which can be lowered by engaging in exercise, lifestyle changes, and dieting. According to the American Diabetes Association, individuals living with type I and II diabetes are likely to die of heart disease or stroke (American Diabetes Association, 2020). As discussed above, the link between cardiovascular disease and diabetes mellitus is undeniable because it affects blood transfer, blood pressure, and blood sugar. Diabetes is a mortal condition because it increases the chances of a person who has no medical history linking him/her to heart attack. In this regard, diabetes mellitus is more risky and deadly than having a history of heart complications. Diabetes is a mortal condition because it increases the chances of developing cardiovascular disease irrespective of age (Cusick et al., 2020). People with diabetes are more likely to die from heart attack or stroke, which indicates that diabetes, is a deadly risk factor.
Blood circulation is essential in the body because it contributes to the transfer of oxygen, secretion of waste, and transfer of body nutrients throughout the body. Diabetes results in cardiovascular disease, which affects the circulation of blood, oxygen, and body fluid. This, in turn, leads to worsening of diabetes complication such as swelling of feet and problematic eyes. High sugar levels affect the normality of blood vessels, which directly affects the functioning of the cardiovascular system (Cusick et al., 2020). On this note, excess blood sugar cannot be turned into proper use by the body; it sticks builds in the diabetic individual’s blood by sticking to red blood cells. In so doing, blood flow to and from the heart is affected, starving the heart of food nutrients and oxygen (Cusick et al., 2020). On this subject, the deadly complications associated with diabetes mellitus can be avoided by regularly monitoring cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar levels. Stroke and heart disease are complications related to type I and II diabetes, which make it a mortal condition.
References
American Diabetes Association. (2020). 8. Cardiovascular disease and risk management. Diabetes care, 39(Supplement 1), S60-S71.
Chen, R., Ovbiagele, B., & Feng, W. (2020). Diabetes and stroke: epidemiology, pathophysiology, pharmaceuticals, and outcomes. The American Journal of the Medical Sciences, 351(4), 380-386. Https://dx.doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.amjms.2016.01.011
Cusick, M., Meleth, A. D., Agrón, E., Fisher, M. R., Reed, G. F., Knatterud, G. L., … & Chew, E. Y. (2020). Associations of mortality and diabetes complications in patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes: early treatment diabetic retinopathy study report no. 27. Diabetes Care, 28(3), 617-625.