|
Diabetes is a complicated, chronic disease that impairs your body's ability to produce or properly use insulin, which, in turn, causes your blood sugar level to increase. This build-up of sugar, without treatment, can cause blindness, heart attack, loss of feet or legs to amputation, kidney dysfunction, and even death. There is no cure for diabetes, but there are a number of things you can do to control it.
Approximately 15 to 16 million people in the United States are known to have diabetes. In addition, an estimated 8 million American adults have undiagnosed diabetes. That estimate does not include people who have borderline diabetes or pre-diabetes. Diabetes affects both men and women. |
