Why Type 2 Diabetes Is Dangerous: Not “Just Sugar,” but a Systemic Threat
Type 2 diabetes is often mistakenly perceived as a “mild” or “age-related” condition associated only with limiting sweets. This is a dangerous misconception. In essence, it is a chronic systemic disease in which persistently elevated blood glucose acts as a slow but powerful destroyer of nearly all organs and systems. The main danger lies in its complications, which develop over years, often without symptoms, yet lead to severe and irreversible consequences.
Why Does Sugar Become a “Poison”?
Under normal conditions, glucose is the body’s primary source of energy. But when its concentration in the blood is chronically elevated (hyperglycemia), it triggers a cascade of pathological processes:
Glycation (“sugaring” of proteins). Glucose reacts with proteins, making them rigid and nonfunctional. Imagine brittle caramel coating the walls of blood vessels and nerves.
Oxidative stress. The number of free radicals increases, damaging cells.
Inflammation. Chronic inflammation develops in the vessel walls.
Impaired blood flow in small vessels (microangiopathy) and large vessels (macroangiopathy).
These processes lead to specific complications, which can be broadly divided into vascular and non-vascular.
1. Cardiovascular Events — the Leading Cause of Death
Type 2 diabetes is a number one risk factor for atherosclerosis.
Coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction: The risk of heart attack is 2–4 times higher in people with diabetes. It often occurs “silently,” without severe pain.
Stroke: The risk of cerebrovascular events is increased 2–5 times.
Arterial hypertension: Diabetes and high blood pressure mutually worsen each other.
Diabetic foot: Reduced blood flow and impaired nerve supply in the legs lead to trophic ulcers, infection, and gangrene. This is the most common cause of non-traumatic amputations worldwide.
2. Kidney Damage (Diabetic Nephropathy)
The kidneys are a filter made up of millions of tiny blood vessels. High blood sugar gradually destroys this filter.
What happens: At first, the kidneys begin to leak protein (microalbuminuria), then their function steadily declines.
Outcome: Chronic kidney disease, eventually progressing to end-stage renal failure requiring lifelong dialysis or kidney transplantation.
3. Nervous System Damage (Diabetic Neuropathy)
High blood sugar damages the small vessels that supply nerves and the nerve fibers themselves.
Peripheral neuropathy: Manifests as numbness, burning, “pins and needles,” pain in the feet and hands, and loss of sensation. A person may not feel minor injuries, leading to infection.
Autonomic neuropathy: Disrupts the function of internal organs, causing gastroparesis (delayed stomach emptying), urinary incontinence, erectile dysfunction, painless heart attacks, and sharp drops in blood pressure upon standing.
4. Eye Damage (Diabetic Retinopathy)
The retina is permeated with the smallest blood vessels, which in diabetes become fragile, blocked, and replaced by new but defective ones.
What happens: Hemorrhages, swelling, and scar tissue formation in the retina.
Outcome: Progressive vision loss up to complete blindness. Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness among working-age adults.
5. Other Serious Risks
Diabetic foot syndrome: A combination of neuropathy, impaired blood flow, and infection.
Fatty liver disease (non-alcoholic fatty liver disease): A nearly constant companion of type 2 diabetes that can progress to cirrhosis.
Severe infections: Hyperglycemia suppresses immunity. Wounds heal more slowly; fungal infections, pneumonia, and urinary tract infections are common.
Obstructive sleep apnea: Very common and further aggravates metabolic disorders.
Increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia (“type 3 diabetes”).
Depression: The risk of depression in people with diabetes is twice as high.
The Deceptiveness of Diabetes: a Long “Silent” Phase
The most frightening aspect is that these complications are painless in their early stages. Elevated blood sugar can silently damage kidney vessels for 5–10 years, and retinopathy is often detected only during an eye exam. By the time the first symptoms appear (swelling in nephropathy, vision loss, leg pain), the changes are often already irreversible.
Conclusion: Awareness of Risk Is the Key to Prevention
Type 2 diabetes is dangerous not by itself, but because of its long-term complications. And here is the good news: these complications are not inevitable.
The key takeaway: The risk of their development and the speed of progression directly depend on how well blood glucose (and related parameters such as blood pressure and cholesterol) is controlled. It has been proven that maintaining target blood sugar and HbA1c (glycated hemoglobin) levels reduces the risk of complications by 30–70%.
Diabetes control is not just “being on a diet.” It is a lifelong, systematic management of one’s health that includes:
Regular glucose monitoring and visits to an endocrinologist.
Dietary modification and physical activity.
Taking prescribed medications (metformin, incretins, insulin, and others).
Regular screening for complications (urine albumin tests, retinal examinations, foot sensitivity checks).
Understanding the true dangers of diabetes is a powerful motivator to take control of the disease and maintain a full, active life for many years. It is an investment in a future free from disabling consequences.