Type 2 Diabetes and Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy

​This post is part of an ongoing series from Dr. Thomas Burke, PhD, published researcher of 92+ papers on blood flow and peripheral neuropathy.

Being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes is a serious health issue and you should not underestimate its possible consequences. This disease is caused by high sugar levels in the blood. Untreated, this leads to heart, kidney and eye damage and it is the result of decreased blood flow to these organs. Some diabetic patients also have show signs of damage to their legs, feet and hands; this is, not surprisingly, also caused by low blood flow. The signs are loss of feeling in the feet or hands, poor balance, and often pain that interferes with sleep. These are symptoms of something called diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN). Poor blood flow to the feet can result in a wound that is difficult to heal and may, on occasion, lead to an amputation of toe(s), feet or lower legs. Again, do not underestimate the possible consequences of Type 2 diabetes. Next week we’ll look at some of these symptoms of DPN and their relationship to low blood flow.