When diabetes is out of control, it means your blood sugar (blood glucose) is too high. Type 2 diabetes may not make you feel sick. But even if you have no symptoms, controlling your blood sugar is the right thing to do. That’s because high blood sugar can lead to serious problems over time. Good blood sugar control means lowering your blood sugar levels to the target range your doctor recommends and keeping them there.
When your blood sugar is not controlled, too much sugar stays in your blood for a long time. That can damage blood vessels and nerves. This damage can cause:
- Kidney disease
- Blindness
- Nerve damage
- Foot problems
- Heart disease
Over many years, high blood sugar (hyperglycemia) can lead to serious problems. Kidney disease can lead to kidney failure and the need for dialysis. Blood vessel damage in the eyes can lead to blindness . Nerve damage in the feet can lead to the need for amputation. And heart disease can lead to death. Heart disease is, in fact, the number 1 cause of death in people with diabetes.
You may not want to think about these possibilities—no one really wants to. But the good news is that you can help avoid these problems by taking good care of your diabetes. This means taking steps to keep your blood sugar level at a healthy balance.
JANUVIA, taken once daily, is a prescription medicine used along with diet and exercise to lower blood sugar in patients with type 2 diabetes.
JANUVIA is not approved to treat the serious problems that may result from high blood sugar.