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Complications

By Mayo Clinic staff

Type 2 diabetes can be easy to ignore, especially in the early stages when your child is feeling fine. But type 2 diabetes must be taken seriously. The condition can affect nearly every major organ in your child's body, including the heart, blood vessels, nerves, eyes and kidneys. Keeping your child's blood sugar level close to normal most of the time can dramatically reduce the risk of these complications.

The long-term complications of type 2 diabetes develop gradually. But eventually, 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.
  • 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.
  • Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Children with type 2 are more likely to develop nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, which can eventually lead to scarring of the liver and cirrhosis. Weight loss, along with good blood sugar control, may help this condition.
  • 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. The earlier diabetes develops, the greater the concern. 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). Diabetes can also lead to cataracts and a greater risk of glaucoma.
  • 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.
Preparing for your appointment Risk factors
References
  1. Laffel L, et al. Epidemiology, presentation, and diagnosis of type 2 diabetes mellitus in children and adolescents. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.htm. Accessed Jan. 6, 2009.
  2. Am I at risk for type 2 diabetes? National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/DM/pubs/riskfortype2/. Accessed Jan. 9, 2009.
  3. Standards of medical care in diabetes — 2008. Alexandria, Va.: American Diabetes Association. http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/vol31/Supplement_1/. Accessed Jan. 6, 2009.
  4. McCulloch DK, et al. Pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes mellitus. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.htm. Accessed Jan. 6, 2009.
  5. Laffel L, et al. Comorbidities and complications of type 2 diabetes mellitus in children and adolescents. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.htm. Accessed Jan. 6, 2009.
  6. McCulloch DK, et al. Glycemic control and vascular complications in type 2 diabetes mellitus. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.htm. Accessed Jan. 6, 2009.
  7. Kidney disease (nephropathy). American Diabetes Association. http://www.diabetes.org/type-2-diabetes/kidney-disease.jsp. Accessed Jan. 9, 2009.
  8. 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.
  9. Why taking care of your diabetes is important. National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse. http://www.diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/type1and2/care.htm. Accessed Jan. 9, 2009.
  10. Prevent diabetes problems: Keep your feet and skin healthy. National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse. http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/complications_feet/. Accessed Jan. 9, 2009.
  11. Estimated Average Glucose, eAG. American Diabetes Association. http://professional.diabetes.org/GlucoseCalculator.aspx. Accessed Jan. 6, 2009.
  12. Laffel L, et al. Management of type 2 diabetes mellitus in children and adolescents. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.htm. Accessed Jan. 6, 2009.
  13. The basics of insulin. American Diabetes Association. http://www.diabetes.org/utils/printthispage.jsp?PageID=TYPE1DIABETES3_263601. Accessed Jan. 6, 2009.
  14. Hypoglycemia. American Diabetes Association. http://tracker.diabetes.org/hypoglycemia.php. Accessed Jan. 9, 2009.
  15. Hyperglycemia. American Diabetes Association. http://tracker.diabetes.org/hyperglycemia.php. Accessed Jan. 9, 2009.
  16. Ketoacidosis. American Diabetes Association. http://www.diabetes.org/type-1-diabetes/ketoacidosis.jsp. Accessed Jan. 6, 2009.
  17. International Expert Committee. International Expert Committee report on the role of the A1C assay in the diagnosis of diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2009;32:1.

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