Some Diabetes Complications Are Less Well Known but Still Serious

Beyond the Usual Suspects

Diabetes is a chronic disease that can cause many serious complications. Numbness and tingling in your feet or hands (neuropathy), kidney failure (nephropathy) and vision problems (retinopathy) which can lead to blindness, are the most well-known complications.

• Diabetic Neuropathy
• What to Know About Nephropathy
• Retinopathy

But other complications can occur that are often overlooked.

Diabetes is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. People who have diabetes are twice as likely to develop heart disease than the rest of the population. High blood pressure and increased risk of stroke are also complications of diabetes.

• Heart Disease and Diabetes
• Diabetes and Hypertension
• The Connection between Diabetes and Stroke

Diabetes can also put you at risk for infections. Foot infections, yeast infections, urinary tract infections and surgical site infections can present serious complications.

• Common Infections in Diabetes
• Yeast Infections in Diabetes

Depression often seems to accompany diabetes. While studies have found that having diabetes can make people more susceptible to depression, others show that depression can lead to type 2 diabetes. Whichever comes first, they do appear to go hand in hand.

• Depression and Diabetes
• Diabetes and Depression - A Vicious Cycle