Roughly 23 million people in United States alone suffer from type 2 diabetes. It’s the fastest-growing disease in almost all Western countries. Leading complications following type 2 diabetes are heart attacks, strokes and amputations.
According to new study findings published online in JAMA Internal Medicine, a more effective approach to type 2 diabetes treatment drastically lowers rates of these serious complications.
Researchers from the University of Chicago looked at more than 72,000 adults from the age of 60 and older, all suffering from type 2 diabetes.
According to the results, diabetes complications tended to worsen with age, the longer people lived with the disease.
For example, for those seniors that lived with type 2 diabetes for less than 10 years, heart disease was the major complication (other complications such as amputations became more common at later stages).
In one year, for each thousand participants, there were 8 new cases of heart disease diagnosed in the age group under 70; 11 new cases in the 70s group; and as much as 15 cases in the age group of 80 and older.
The good news is that these numbers show a drastic decline from just a decade ago when heart disease rates among type 2 diabetes patients were about 7 times higher (180 cases per 1000 participants).
This is a significant achievement in improving the life quality of diabetic patients; however, the main concern for type 2 diabetes treatments has become the treatment itself.
Hypoglycemia is a common side effect of diabetes-controlling medication that causes low blood sugar levels. A fast drop in blood sugar levels causes weakness, irregular heartbeat, anxiety and trouble speaking.
The same research found that hypoglycemia is the third most common complication in long term type 2 diabetes patients older than 70.
So what to take from today’s lesson is that it’s extremely important to treat type 2 diabetes to prevent other complications. But it’s equally important to do everything in your power to treat it naturally.