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Complications

By Mayo Clinic staff

Type 1 diabetes can affect nearly every major organ in your child's body, including the heart, blood vessels, nerves, eyes and kidneys. The good news is that keeping your child's blood sugar level close to normal most of the time can dramatically reduce the risk of these complications.

Long-term complications of type 1 diabetes develop gradually. Eventually, if blood sugar levels aren't well controlled, diabetes complications may be disabling or even life-threatening.

  • Heart and blood vessel disease. Diabetes dramatically increases your child's risk of various cardiovascular problems, including coronary artery disease with chest pain (angina), heart attack, stroke, narrowing of the arteries (atherosclerosis) and high blood pressure, later in life.
  • Nerve damage (neuropathy). Excess sugar can injure the walls of the tiny blood vessels (capillaries) that nourish your child's nerves, especially in the legs. This can cause tingling, numbness, burning or pain that may begin at the tips of the toes or fingers and gradually spread upward. Left untreated, your child could lose all sense of feeling in the affected limbs.
  • Kidney damage (nephropathy). The kidneys contain millions of tiny blood vessel clusters that filter waste from your child's blood. Diabetes can damage this delicate filtering system. Severe damage can lead to kidney failure or irreversible end-stage kidney disease, requiring dialysis or a kidney transplant.
  • Eye damage. Diabetes can damage the blood vessels of the retina (diabetic retinopathy). Diabetic retinopathy can cause blindness. Diabetes can also lead to cataracts and a greater risk of glaucoma. By adulthood, diabetes is a leading cause of blindness.
  • Foot damage. Nerve damage in the feet or poor blood flow to the feet increases the risk of various foot complications. Left untreated, cuts and blisters can become serious infections.
  • Skin conditions. Diabetes may leave your child more susceptible to skin problems, including bacterial infections, fungal infections and itching.
  • Osteoporosis. Diabetes may lead to lower than normal bone mineral density, increasing your child's risk of osteoporosis as an adult.
Preparing for your appointment Risk factors
References
  1. The dangerous toll of diabetes. American Diabetes Association. http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-statistics/dangerous-toll.jsp. Accessed Jan. 6, 2009.
  2. Levitsky LL, et al. Epidemiology, presentation, and diagnosis of type 1 diabetes mellitus in children and adolescents. http://www.uptodate.com/home.index.html. Accessed Jan. 5, 2009.
  3. Eisenbarth GS, et al. Pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes mellitus. http://www.uptodate.com/home.index.html. Accessed Jan. 5, 2009.
  4. McCulloch DK. Glycemic control and vascular complications in type 1 diabetes mellitus. http://www.uptodate.com/home.index.html. Accessed Jan. 5, 2009.
  5. Kidney disease (nephropathy). American Diabetes Association. http://www.diabetes.org/utils/printthispage.jsp?PageID=TYPE1DIABETES3_232930. Accessed Jan. 6, 2009.
  6. What is diabetes: Diabetes complications. Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. http://www.jdrf.org/index.cfm?page_id=101308. Accessed Jan. 6, 2009.
  7. Prevent diabetes problems: Keep your eyes healthy. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/complications_eyes/index.htm. Accessed Jan. 6, 2009.
  8. McCulloch DK. Patient information: Preventing complications in diabetes mellitus. http://www.uptodate.com/home.index.html. Accessed Jan. 5, 2009.
  9. Skin complications. American Diabetes Association. http://www.diabetes.org/utils/printthispage.jsp?PageID=TYPE1DIABETES3_232934. Accessed Jan. 6, 2009.
  10. What people with diabetes need to know about osteoporosis. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. Accessed Jan. 9, 2009.
  11. Levitsky LL, et al. Management of type 1 diabetes mellitus in children and adolescents. http://www.uptodate.com/home.index.html. Accessed Jan. 5, 2009.
  12. Standards of medical care in diabetes -2009. Alexandria, Va.: American Diabetes Association. http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/vol31/Supplement_1/. Accessed Jan. 28, 2009.
  13. Estimated average glucose, eAG. American Diabetes Association. http://professional.diabetes.org/GlucoseCalculator.aspx. Accessed Jan. 6, 2009.
  14. The basics of insulin. American Diabetes Association. http://www.diabetes.org/utils/printthispage.jsp?PageID=TYPE1DIABETES3_263601. Accessed Jan. 6, 2009.
  15. McCulloch DK. Patient information: Insulin therapy in type 1 diabetes mellitus. http://www.uptodate.com/home.index.html. Accessed Jan. 5, 2009.
  16. Levitsky LL, et al. Complications and screening in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus. http://www.uptodate.com/home.index.html. Accessed Jan. 5, 2009.
  17. Robertson RP. Pancreas and islet transplantation in diabetes mellitus. http://www.uptodate.com/home.index.html. Accessed Jan. 6, 2009.
  18. Low blood sugar: Definition, symptoms. Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. http://www.jdrf.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.viewpage&page_id=EC9AC822-1321-C844-13C1013CF597E42F. Accessed Jan. 6, 2009.
  19. High blood sugar: Definition, symptoms. Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. http://www.jdrf.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.viewpage&page_id=EC92D98E-1321-C844-13EB771367A49526. Accessed Jan. 6, 2009.
  20. Ketoacidosis. American Diabetes Association. http://www.diabetes.org/type-1-diabetes/ketoacidosis.jsp. Accessed Jan. 6, 2009.
  21. Collazzo-Clavell M (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Jan. 21, 2009.
  22. Diabetes and teens. Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Accessed Jan. 20, 2009.
  23. Stalvey MS. Fifty years ago in the Journal of Pediatrics. Journal of Pediatrics. 2007: 150(1) http://www.mdconsult.com/das/article/body/115791309-2/jorg=journal&source=&sp=16726925&sid=788957128/N/562819/1.html?issn=0022-3476. Accessed Jan. 6, 2009.
  24. What is Type 1 Diabetes TrialNet? Type 1 Diabetes TrialNet. http://www.diabetestrialnet.org/about/index.htm. Accessed Jan. 6, 2009.
  25. International Expert Committee. International Expert Committee report on the role of the A1C assay in the diagnosis of diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2009;32:1.

DS00931

June 13, 2009

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