Close to 15% of American adults have diabetes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). And every year, doctors diagnose more than 1 million people with the disease. The impact is massive. It’s the eighth-leading cause of death in the United States, according to the CDC, and it comes with a number of major complications.
That’s why it’s so important to know what’s at stake. When you’re armed with info about what diabetes does to the body, why it’s so life-altering, and how you may be able to prevent diabetes complications with semaglutide, you’ll be better able to manage the disease.
What diabetes does to the body
Diabetes is a disease that affects how your body manages blood sugar. A hormone called insulin breaks down the food you eat into glucose and releases it into your bloodstream. Diabetes interferes with this process and causes elevated blood sugar levels.
In type 1 diabetes, the body doesn’t make insulin because the immune system attacks the cells in the pancreas, the organ that produces insulin. In type 2 diabetes—which is far more common—the pancreas makes less insulin and your body becomes resistant to the hormone. This makes it hard to keep blood sugar in a healthy range.
Learn more about type 1 and type 2 diabetes in Does Semaglutide Lower Diabetes Risk?
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“We often call type 2 diabetes ‘the silent killer,’” says Shirley Jiang, M.D., Chief Medical Officer at ReflexMD. “People can have it for years and years and remain asymptomatic and not know that they have it.”
But once the symptoms start, she explains, they can be severe because diabetes affects so many organs in the body. Here, some of the most important complications:
- Heart attack and stroke
The risk for heart disease is twice as high for people with diabetes, says the CDC. This is because high blood sugar levels can damage the blood vessels and nerves that control your heart. And the longer you have diabetes, the higher your risk. - Kidney problems
Most people don’t give their kidneys much thought, but they’re vital organs. They filter the waste from your blood and also produce important hormones. High blood sugar can damage the kidneys, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). This leads to a condition called diabetic nephropathy, which can cause kidney failure. In fact, roughly 1 out of 3 adults with diabetes have kidney disease too. “Some people with diabetes can have such bad kidney disease that they end up on dialysis,” Dr. Jiang adds. - Vision problems
“Diabetes affects the vessels in our eyes and can lead to something called diabetic retinopathy,” explains Dr. Jiang. Other conditions can include diabetic macular edema, cataracts, and glaucoma, says NIDDK. All together, these conditions are called diabetic eye disease. In early stages, there may be few or no symptoms. But if it gets more severe, it can cause vision disturbances or even blindness. - Nerve and foot problems
Too much sugar in the blood can injure the walls of the tiny blood vessels (capillaries) that feed your nerves, especially in the legs. This can cause tingling, numbness, and pain, according to the Mayo Clinic. If the problem—called diabetic neuropathy—gets worse, you can end up with serious foot complications. “It affects nerve endings and can lead to the need for amputations,” says Dr. Jiang.
How semaglutide can help treat diabetes
Ever since the FDA approved semaglutide as a treatment for type 2 diabetes, it has helped many Americans manage the disease.
“Semaglutide helps increase insulin, and insulin is what helps regulate blood sugar levels in the body,” says Dr. Jiang. “Also, it reduces the risk of stroke and heart attack.” In fact, in one study on people with type 2 diabetes in The New England Journal of Medicine, researchers found a significantly lower risk of major cardiovascular events, as well as kidney issues, with semaglutide. (Talk to your doctor or chat with a ReflexMD Wellness Advisor if you think semaglutide might be right for you.)
“The medication helps promote weight loss, and if you’re overweight and have diabetes, it can be really valuable,” Dr. Jiang adds. It sends a signal to your brain that you’ve eaten enough and slows down the speed at which your stomach empties. Result: You feel full faster and for longer. These benefits make such an impact that, in a study on people with type 2 diabetes, those who used semaglutide lost an average of 9.6% of their body weight in 68 weeks.
With knowledge comes power. When you’re aware of the risks and complications that come from diabetes—and the promising medications that can help—you’re in a far better position to improve your health and wellbeing, for now and beyond.
If you think a weight loss medication like semaglutide might be right for you, chat with a ReflexMD Wellness Advisor now or take our short quiz to see if you qualify.
Read More: Living With Diabetes? How Semaglutide Can Help Your Health
