Diabetes is a chronic disease in which the body produces little or no insulin, which causes blood glucose (blood sugar) to be too high. Over time, having too much glucose in the blood can damage the eyes, kidneys and nerves. Improper management of diabetes can cause heart disease, stroke and even the need to amputate a limb.

Long term complications of diabetes can include disorders that affect the:

• Kidney (renal)
  
  
• Eye
  
  
• Neurological System
  
  
• Circulatory System

Long term complications can occur at some time in the majority of patients with diabetes. However, long term diabetic complications are thought to arise from poor long term control of diabetes. Intensive treatment programs have been shown to decrease the likelihood of long term complications in both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.

Long term diabetic complication rate is not a measure of hospital quality, but rather one way to measure outpatient care of diabetes. Proper outpatient treatment and adherence to a treatment plan may reduce the likelihood of diabetic long term complications.