Long term complications

People who have had diabetes for years can develop problems with their eyes, kidneys, nerves and feet. People with diabetes are also more susceptible to heart and blood vessel problems. Examples of these are high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke. These are the potential long-term complications of type 1 diabetes.

Causes of complications

Whether or not you develop complications depends on how long you've had diabetes. It also depends on how good your diabetes control has been. Keeping your blood sugar under tight control helps to prevent or delay complications.

If you smoke, have high blood pressure or high cholesterol, your risks are increased further

Preventing complications

There are lots of things you can do to prevent or delay long-term complications:

The most important is to keep your diabetes under good control
Aim for blood sugar of 4-7 mmol/l before meals and no higher than 9 mmol/l two hours after meals
Test your blood sugar frequently and adjust your insulin according to the results so that you can achieve your targets
Have your HbA1c checked regularly at the clinic – remember you need to aim for values between 6.5% and 7.5%
Adopt a healthy lifestyle – no smoking, a healthy diet and regular exercise.

Visit the diabetes clinic

Visit your diabetes clinic regularly. Make the most of your diabetes care team! Things to check at your clinic visits:

Have your eyes and feet checked regularly
Have an annual eye check (retinal screening)
Get urine tests to check how well your kidneys are working
Have your blood pressure and cholesterol checked regularly. If you’re prescribed medications for high blood pressure, take them as advised by your doctor. Always consult your doctor or another member of the diabetes care team if you have diabetes related problems.

Long-term complications: A summary

Diabetes puts you at risk of long-term problems with your eyes, kidneys, nerves and feet
Diabetes makes you more susceptible to high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke
Tight blood sugar control helps reduce these risks
Regular checks and a healthy lifestyle are also important to prevent complications.

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Last updated: August 2009