{"id":54982,"date":"2022-11-07T09:30:17","date_gmt":"2022-11-07T14:30:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/?p=54982"},"modified":"2024-10-25T11:03:56","modified_gmt":"2024-10-25T15:03:56","slug":"can-you-die-from-diabetes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/can-you-die-from-diabetes\/","title":{"rendered":"Can you die from diabetes?"},"content":{"rendered":"

According to the <\/span>American Diabetes Association<\/span><\/a>, 11% of the population has diabetes (also called diabetes mellitus), and another 96 million have prediabetes—making it one of the most common chronic diseases in the U.S. Sadly, it’s also one of the most preventable diseases. Of the two main <\/span>types of diabetes<\/span><\/a>, Type 2, which develops over years and is usually linked to obesity or a lack of physical activity, accounts for roughly <\/span>95% of American cases<\/span><\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n

With treatment, most people with either Type 1 diabetes, which is a genetic immune system disease, or Type 2 diabetes can manage their conditions effectively and avoid most of the <\/span>major complications of diabetes<\/span><\/a>. If it’s left untreated, however, diabetes can lead to more serious health problems, including some that can be life-threatening. <\/span><\/p>\n

Can diabetes kill you?<\/span><\/h2>\n

The short answer is, yes, untreated diabetes can kill you. But in a strictly medical sense, diabetes won’t be what kills you. A complication that arose from your diabetes will most likely be the real culprit.<\/span><\/p>\n

“The actual cause of death is a combination of factors and complications,” says Daniel Boyer, MD, a doctor and medical researcher with the <\/span>Farr Institute<\/span><\/a>. “The most common causes of death among people with Type 2 diabetes include heart disease, stroke, and kidney disease.”<\/span><\/p>\n

With diabetes, the body can’t produce enough insulin or effectively use insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas that helps regulate blood sugar levels (or blood glucose levels). This can cause blood sugar levels to be higher than they should be, a condition called hyperglycemia. Over time, hyperglycemia can cause a number of health problems, such as vision loss, heart disease, kidney disease, and nerve damage.<\/span><\/p>\n

Although some of its complications can be fatal over time, diabetes itself doesn’t cause sudden death. Severe hypoglycemia and diabetic ketoacidosis can cause sudden death—but it is rare and can be treated if caught in time. And in rare cases, diabetes causes nerve damage, or neuropathy, which can be a secondary cause of sudden death due to an infection.<\/span><\/p>\n

“Neuropathy causes patients to lose sensation or sensitivity in their legs, which makes it more difficult for them to notice they’ve been injured,” says Nancy Mitchell, RN, a geriatric nurse and healthcare writer with <\/span>Assisted Living Center<\/span><\/a>. “If a wound goes untreated, it could progress into a gangrenous infection. If that infection is neglected or not treated adequately, it could develop into sepsis and cause sudden death.”<\/span><\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/b>What is insulin resistance?<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

How many people die from diabetes each year?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Diabetes was listed as the underlying cause in 87,647 deaths in 2019 and was mentioned as a cause of death on 282,801 death certificates in all. In 2020, the <\/span>Centers for Disease Control and Prevention<\/span><\/a> (CDC) had diabetes ranked as the eighth most common cause of death in the U.S.<\/span><\/p>\n

Which body system is affected by diabetes?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Gangrenous infections aside, most deaths due to diabetes can be traced to other complications of having high blood sugar levels in the blood over an extended period of time. Too much glucose in the blood can damage the organs, blood vessels, and nerves—eventually leading to life-threatening health problems.<\/span><\/p>\n