Understanding Long-Term Complications of Type 1 Diabetes
Having diabetes increases your risk of developing certain complications later in life. Maintaining blood sugars in a healthy range has been shown to greatly reduce the risk of developing these complications. Here’s some ways to reduce your risks as well as which complications you should be looking for.
What Can Reduce the Risk of Diabetes Complications?
- Optimal Blood Sugar Control
- Keeping your blood sugar levels in a healthy range can reduce the risk of complications by more than 50%. This includes problems with your eyes, kidneys, nerves, and heart.
- Avoiding Tobacco
- Not smoking or chewing tobacco, and avoiding secondhand smoke, is very important. Tobacco can make complications worse.
- Managing Blood Pressure and Cholesterol
- Treating high blood pressure and high cholesterol helps protect your eyes, kidneys, and heart. Even small increases in blood pressure can cause damage.
- Healthy Diet and Exercise
- Eating a balanced diet and staying active helps you maintain a healthy weight, which is crucial for managing diabetes.
- Regular Screenings
- The American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends annual screenings for your eyes, kidneys, and nerves if you’ve had type 1 diabetes for five years or more, starting at age 10 or puberty, whichever comes first.
- Some doctors may suggest these screenings every two years if your blood sugar control has been good (HbA1c levels below 8%).
Large Blood Vessels and the Heart
- Heart Health
- Adults with diabetes have a higher risk of heart attacks and blood vessel diseases. Long-term good blood sugar control is key to prevention.
- Avoiding tobacco is especially important for people with diabetes.
- Keeping a healthy weight, normal blood pressure, and healthy cholesterol levels also helps protect your heart.
- Cholesterol Screening
- Cholesterol levels should be checked at puberty or sooner if there’s a family history of high cholesterol.
- Adult diabetes clinics often do special heart evaluations, like EKGs, at regular intervals.
Treatment
- Improving Blood Sugar Control
- The most important way to treat early complications is by keeping your blood sugar levels in a healthy range.
- Managing Weight, Blood Pressure, and Cholesterol
- Maintaining a normal weight and healthy blood pressure and cholesterol levels is crucial.
- Early Kidney Damage
- Lowering blood pressure can help treat early kidney damage. A type of blood pressure medicine called an ACE inhibitor is often used first.
- Eye Health
- If there are many changes in your eyes, laser treatment to the back of the eye (retina) may help prevent more severe problems. This is rarely needed during childhood or teenage years.
- New Medicines
- There are new medicines called SGLT-2 inhibitors that help with blood sugar control and prevent heart and kidney complications.
By understanding and taking steps to prevent long-term complications, we can keep our bodies healthier and stronger. Remember, your diabetes care team is always here to help you with any questions or concerns.