The 63-year-old Ma uncle has a history of diabetes for many years, and has always insisted on taking medicine to control his blood sugar. However, just a few days ago, Uncle Ma went to the hospital because of physical discomfort, and the results were found to be chronic kidney disease. This made Uncle Ma unacceptable, he felt that his blood sugar had always been within the standard range, why would it cause diabetes complications?
In the process of diabetes treatment and management, many patients have such a question: if the blood sugar has been controlled smoothly and reached the standard, whether the occurrence of complications can be completely avoided? The answer may disappoint many sugar lovers.
First of all, we must recognize the critical significance of glycemic control in diabetes management.
Long-term hyperglycemia will cause progressive damage to blood vessels, nerves and other tissues and organs of the whole body, and is the main risk factor for various complications. When blood glucose can be controlled stably within the target range, the progression of this damage is significantly slowed, greatly reducing the risk of acute complications such as diabetic ketoacidosis and hyperosmolar hyperglycemia. At the same time, it also plays an extremely important role in curbing the occurrence and development of chronic complications such as diabetic nephropathy, diabetic retinopathy, diabetic neuropathy and cardiovascular diseases. Numerous clinical studies and practices have confirmed that good blood sugar control can bring many benefits to patients, significantly improving quality of life and extending life expectancy.
However, even if blood glucose control is achieved smoothly, it is not absolutely certain that complications will not occur.
The occurrence of diabetes complications is a complex multi-factor process, and blood sugar is one of the key factors, but not the only one.
Hypertension and dyslipidemia are very common in diabetic patients, and they cooperate with hyperglycemia to accelerate the process of vascular disease. High blood pressure increases pressure on blood vessel walls and damages vascular endothelial cells, while dyslipidemia, especially high cholesterol, high triglycerides, and elevated LDL cholesterol, can contribute to the formation of atherosclerotic plaques, leading to narrowing and blockage of blood vessels.
Therefore, even if blood sugar is well controlled, if hypertension and dyslipidemia are not effectively controlled, the risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular complications such as coronary heart disease and stroke will still be high.
In addition, the duration of diabetes is also an important factor affecting the occurrence of complications.
With the passing of time, even if the blood sugar has been maintained at a good level, the function of various organs of the body may gradually undergo some irreversible changes under the influence of the microenvironment of long-term diabetes. For example, after 10 to 15 years of diabetic nephropathy, even if the blood glucose control is ideal, there are still some patients may have varying degrees of renal dysfunction. This is because long-term metabolic disorders have left traces on structures such as the kidney’s microvessels and glomeruli, and over time, these potential damages may gradually appear and progress.
Genetic factors are also important. Some people with diabetes may have a genetic predisposition and may be at higher risk of developing specific complications than others, even when their blood sugar is well controlled. For example, some patients with familial diabetes may have a strong genetic background for cardiovascular disease, and even if their blood sugar is up to standard, their chances of cardiovascular complications such as coronary heart disease are relatively high.
In addition, poor lifestyles such as smoking, alcohol abuse, physical inactivity, and chronic stress can also undermine the benefits of achieving glycemic control and increase the risk of complications.
Smoking will lead to vasoconstriction, spasm, reduce the blood perfusion of tissues and organs, but also increase blood viscosity, promote thrombosis; Alcoholism can damage liver function, affect the normal metabolic regulation of blood sugar, and may directly damage the nervous system and cardiovascular system. Lack of exercise will reduce the body’s metabolic function and increase the risk of obesity, which is not conducive to the comprehensive management of blood sugar, blood pressure and lipids. Long-term mental stress can cause hormone imbalance in the body, resulting in blood sugar fluctuations, indirectly affecting the occurrence and development of complications.
To sum up, although blood glucose control is the core goal of diabetes management and plays a decisive role in preventing complications, other relevant factors should not be ignored.
While trying to control blood sugar to reach the standard, diabetic patients should also pay close attention to blood pressure, blood lipids and other indicators, actively improve their lifestyle, and carry out regular comprehensive physical examination in order to detect and intervene in possible complications early. Only in this way, in the long-term struggle with diabetes, to minimize the occurrence of complications, to ensure their own health and quality of life.
Related topics
