Diabetes
Diabetes is a condition that affects how your body uses and controls blood sugar (glucose), the main source of energy for your cells. If you have diabetes, your body either doesn’t make enough insulin or can’t use insulin effectively. As a result, your blood sugar levels can rise higher than they should.
When blood sugar stays high over time, it can damage blood vessels throughout the body. This increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, peripheral artery disease, and problems affecting the eyes, kidneys, and nerves.
Symptoms
Diabetes does not always cause noticeable symptoms, especially early on. Some people notice changes gradually, while others may not realize their blood sugar is high until it is found through routine blood work.
Symptoms may include:
Increased thirst
Frequent urination
Fatigue or low energy
Blurred vision
Slow-healing cuts or wounds
Tingling, numbness, or pain in the hands or feet
Causes & Risk Factors
Diabetes develops when the body cannot properly regulate blood sugar. This can happen when the body doesn’t make enough insulin, doesn’t respond well to insulin, or both.
Factors that can increase risk include:
A family history of diabetes
Excess body weight
Low physical activity
High blood pressure or unhealthy cholesterol levels
A history of heart or vascular disease
Certain medications or medical conditions
Getting older
Often, more than one factor plays a role.
Diagnosis
Clinicians diagnose diabetes using blood tests that measure blood sugar levels. These tests help determine whether blood sugar levels are higher than they should be and whether diabetes or prediabetes is present.
Common tests include:
Fasting plasma glucose (FPG): Measures blood sugar after not eating for at least 8 hours
A1C test: Shows average blood sugar levels over the past 2 to 3 months
Oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT): Measures how the body handles sugar after drinking a glucose-containing beverage
Additional testing may be used to understand how diabetes is affecting heart and vascular health.
Treatment
Diabetes care looks different for everyone and may change over time based on individual needs and risk factors.
Treatment often focuses on:
Keeping blood sugar levels as steady as possible
Reducing strain on blood vessels
Lowering the risk of heart disease, stroke, and other vascular complications
Some people manage diabetes with lifestyle changes alone, while others need medications to help control blood sugar. These may include oral medications or injectable therapies, depending on what your clinician recommends.
Living With/Prevention
Living with diabetes often means learning how to balance daily routines, blood sugar management, and long-term vascular health. Staying physically active, choosing foods that support steady blood sugar levels, managing stress, and keeping up with regular follow-up care can help support overall health and well-being.
American Diabetes Association Professional Practice Committee. 2. Diagnosis and classification of diabetes: Standards of care in diabetes—2025. Diabetes Care. 2025;48(suppl 1):S27-S49. doi:10.2337/dc25-S002
American Heart Association. Preventing and treating diabetes. Accessed December 16, 2025.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Diabetes and your heart. May 15, 2024.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Symptoms of diabetes. May 15, 2024.
Davies MJ, Aroda VR, Collins BS, et al. Management of hyperglycemia in type 2 diabetes, 2022: A consensus report by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD). Diabetes Care. 2022;45(11):2753-2786. doi:10.2337/dci22-0034
Liu R, Li L, Shao C, Cai H, Wang Z. The impact of diabetes on vascular disease: Progress from the perspective of epidemics and treatments. J Diabetes Res. 2022;2022:1531289. doi:10.1155/2022/1531289
Xue C, Chen K, Gao Z, Bao T, Dong L, Zhao L, Tong X, Li X. Common mechanisms underlying diabetic vascular complications: Focus on the interaction of metabolic disorders, immuno-inflammation, and endothelial dysfunction. Cell Commun Signal. 2023;21:298. doi:10.1186/s12964-023-01288-7
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