What Are the Reasons Behind Health Complications in Type 2 Diabetes?

Type 2 diabetes is a dietary disorder and is clearly a result of our current unhealthy lifestyles. Research also tells us that it is hereditary in nature. But although you’ve been handed down genes from a diabetic parent, it certainly does not mean that you should also suffer from diabetes. If you watch what you eat, keep your cholesterol in check and are physically active and fit, your chances of getting diabetes are very less as compared to a person who has inherited diabetes genes from his parents and is overweight and inactive. This means that what kind of lifestyle you lead plays a vital role in whether you will develop type 2 diabetes even if you are genetically predisposed to it. A diabetic person has trouble with an essential metabolic process. When we eat something, the food is digested and glucose (the fuel that our body cells use for their various activities) is released and enters our bloodstream. This glucose has to be fed to individual cells for them to function effectively. When an individual is suffering from diabetes, the process that makes the glucose in the blood available to individual cells is faulty and hence glucose remains in the blood. This can lead to severe problems that may be life-threatening. Apart from the fact that the diabetic person finds it extremely difficult to manage normal blood sugar levels, he/she is also prone to many health complications that may occur as a result of diabetes. All of these health complications occur due to a phenomenon called “oxidative stress.” During normal metabolic functions in the human body, many chemical reactions occur that produce highly reactive, unstable chemical species called “free radicals.” These free radicals will try to find an oppositely charged chemical entity to balance itself. This leads to it binding to any oppositely charged species that may be present on any cell constituent (proteins and enzymes) leading to destruction of that chemical. A destruction of a functional or structural protein or an important enzyme can have deleterious effects on the metabolism, not to mention its eventual effects on the health of the individual. Normally, the body contains an elaborate mechanism to counter these oxidants. This antioxidant system of the body can take care of reactive chemical species that may occur in the normal course of metabolic activities. When these reactive species are formed in an amount that exceeds the capabilities of the body’s antioxidant system, there develops a condition called “oxidative stress” which can lead to myriad health problems. Many experts believe that diabetes itself is a result of years of oxidative stress and its complications are also a result of this same phenomenon. This means that all actions that reduce this oxidative stress can effectively help in the reversal of diabetes and a lot of other health problems. Also, anti-diabetic medications, like pramlintide acetate that primarily keep the blood sugar levels under check, rob vital nutrients from the body. This can also lead to many health complications in the long term. Severe complications like foot ulcers, heart diseases, wounds that do not heal properly, neuropathy and erectile dysfunction, among others can occur in diabetic patients. The risk of such complications can be mitigated if the diabetes is well controlled. In case of uncontrolled or poorly controlled diabetes, the risk of these and many more such complications is magnified many times over. early signs of diabetes in women include darkening of skin around the neck, elbows and armpits and irregular periods. These can be a sign of PCOS that can make the woman insulin-resistant, leading to diabetes. In order to avoid the risk of these complications, if you are a diabetic, it is worthwhile to understand that all actions and activities that protect your body from oxidative stress (avoiding unhealthy foods, meditation, Yoga, good sleep, active regimen, etc.) play a vital role in keeping you safe from such complications. Also, even if you are predisposed to diabetes through heredity, if you lead a healthy lifestyle and eat well, your risks of getting diabetes in the first place are negligible.