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Take your diabetes seriously.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention currently ranks diabetes as the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States.

But according to statistics published by the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse, the related complications caused by diabetes actually push the rank higher.

The Clearinghouse says that diabetes is traditionally underreported as a leading cause of death. In 2006, for example, only 35 to 40 percent of death certificates for deceased people who had diabetes listed the disease anywhere on the certificate. And just 10 to 15 percent of certificates for deceased people who had diabetes had it listed as a contributing cause of death.

The reality is that many people are dying from the secondary complications of diabetes. In fact, the risk for death among people with diabetes is about twice that of those without it.

Get the facts

“We don’t want to scare people, but we want them to have the facts,” says Robin Mitchell, RN, certified diabetes educator (CDE) at Grande Ronde Hospital. “The No. 1 cause of blindness is diabetic retinopathy. The No. 1 reason for foot and leg amputation is diabetes. The No. 1 reason people have to go on dialysis due to kidney failure is because of diabetes. And the No. 1 killer of people with type 2 diabetes is cardiac disease.”

Mitchell says diabetes that goes undiagnosed and untreated wreaks havoc on the body. An uncontrolled onslaught of high levels of sugar in the bloodstream causes significant deterioration to the tissues of the body.

The good news is that with proper treatment, medication and lifestyle changes, people who have either type 1 or type 2 diabetes can live longer, healthier lives.

“Some tissue damage can be stopped and even reversed, but not all,” says hospital dietary director Susan Lewis, RD, CDE.

For approximately 12 years, Mitchell and Lewis have joined forces to battle diabetes with the hundreds of patients who have been referred to them by primary care physicians.

Make changes for the better

Mitchell’s role is to educate people about the anatomy and physiology of the disease and the role proper medication plays. Lewis then works with clients to educate them about proper nutrition, assessing specific dietary needs and controlling erratic eating habits.

“That’s one of the primary causes of erratic blood sugar levels. Skipping meals causes serious problems,” Lewis says. “There are a lot of misperceptions about diabetes. Just one example is looking at when a person eats as well as what a person eats. A person with diabetes has to eat. And they have to eat regularly.”

Both Lewis and Mitchell agree that there is much a person can do to control the advance of diabetes and the devastating effects it has on the body. The individual choice to make positive lifestyle changes—eating healthy and exercising—is a key weapon in battling diabetes.

For people with type 2 diabetes especially, Lewis says, a healthier lifestyle will not only prolong life but also improve the quality of that life.

“If you are have pre-diabetes and don’t do anything about it, you may feel fine now,” Mitchell says. “But that damage is going to show up two or three years down the road. Why wait until then to do something? Do something now.”

Common symptoms of diabetes include increased thirst, increased frequency of urination, and being tired or having no energy.