Why do diabetic patients often undergo dietary sugar restriction? What are the main complications of diabetes mellitus?
Diabetic patients are often advised to ingest less carbohydrates since these substances are degraded into glucose and this molecule is absorbed in the intestines. The dietary sugar restriction goal is to control glycemia to maintain it at normal levels. The main complications of diabetes are tissue injuries that occur in vaious organs caused by the chronic increased blood osmolarity: in the peripheral nerves (diabetic neuropathy), resulting in sensitivity loss, increased wounds (the person does not feel that the tissue is being wounded and the wound expands) and muscle fatigue; in the kidneys (diabetic nephropathy), causing glomerular lesions that may lead to renal failure; in the retina (diabetic retinopathy), leading to vision impairment and blindness; in the skin, as a consequence of the neuropathy. Diabetes mellitus also is one of the major risk factors for cardiovascular diseases like embolism, myocardial infarction and stroke
