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Long-term complications

The major long-term complications of diabetes relate to damage to blood vessels at both macrovascular and microvascular levels. Diabetes doubles the risk of cardiovascular disease, and about 75% of deaths in people with diabetes are due to coronary artery disease. Other macrovascular morbidities include stroke and peripheral artery disease.

Microvascular disease affects the eyes, kidneys, and nerves. Damage to the retina, known as diabetic retinopathy, is the most common cause of blindness in people of working age. The eyes can also be affected in other ways, including development of cataract and glaucoma. It is recommended that people with diabetes visit an optometrist or ophthalmologist once a year.

Diabetic nephropathy is a major cause of chronic kidney disease, accounting for over 50% of patients on dialysis in the United States. Diabetic neuropathy, damage to nerves, manifests in various ways, including sensory loss, neuropathic pain, and autonomic dysfunction (such as postural hypotension, diarrhoea, and erectile dysfunction). Loss of pain sensation predisposes to trauma that can lead to diabetic foot problems (such as ulceration), the most common cause of non-traumatic lower-limb amputation.

Hearing loss is another long-term complication associated with diabetes.

Based on extensive data and numerous cases of gallstone disease, it appears that a causal link might exist between type 2 diabetes and gallstones. People with diabetes are at a higher risk of developing gallstones compared to those without diabetes.

There is a link between cognitive deficit and diabetes; studies have shown that diabetic individuals are at a greater risk of cognitive decline, and have a greater rate of decline compared to those without the disease. The condition also predisposes to falls in the elderly, especially those treated with insulin.