Type 2 diabetes can be a 'devastating diagnosis' says expert
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Diabetes is a common metabolic disease associated with increased risk of mortality. Type 2 diabetes is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), kidney diseases and other complications. Left untreated, serious complications may arise including foot amputations.
Peripheral neuropathy is nerve damage caused by chronically high blood sugar and diabetes.
It leads to numbness, loss of sensation, and sometimes pain in your feet, legs, or hands.
It is the most common complication of diabetes.
Foot problems are a common place among those suffering with type 2 diabetes.
Unfortunately, these problems may become serious quickly.
Due to the damage on the nervous system, many diabetes sufferers may not be able to feel his or her feet properly.
These factors together can lead to abnormal pressure on the skin, bones, and joints of the foot during walking and can lead to breakdown of the skin of the foot. Sores may also develop.
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Damage caused to the blood vessels including the impairment of the immune system makes wounds difficult to heal.
These infections often cause gangrene.
Due to the poor blood flow, antibiotics are unable to effectively treat this.
Often, the only treatment for this is amputation of the foot or leg.
If the infection spreads to the bloodstream, this process can be life-threatening.
The mortality rate for UK residents suffering with type 2 diabetes was analysed in a large study.
The study involved 221,182 patients from the UK care database involving medical records of 15.6 million people and found the mortality rate was significantly higher for type 2 diabetics than that of people who do not have diabetes.
The study also found the risk of developing diabetes increased with age.
Key findings from the study
Overall, people with type 2 diabetes had an average 38 percent higher mortality rate compared with people who did not have diabetes.
Age was a factor in relative risk. Type 2 diabetics aged between 60 and 74 had an adjusted 52 percent higher mortality rate compared with similar-aged people who did not have diabetes. Between 50 and 59 years old the risk of dying from diabetes increased by 21 percent relative to those without diabetes. These relative hazard rates remained the same across the three birth cohorts.
The hazard of death for males was 38 percent higher than that for women. Obesity was associated significantly with a rise of 16 percent in mortality; however, it was not significantly different from normal weight.
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