Why Is Blood Sugar Important?

Diabetes is a very complex health concern. Researches have proven direct links for patients that are suffering from this condition and heart disease, complications of other illnesses as well as early death.

When the blood sugar drops too low in your body, it can be potentially fatal. This is called hypoglycemia. In this condition, symptoms include irritability, impaired mental function (memory loss, inability to concentrate) and lethargy. When it drops too long, an individual can lose consciousness.

For those that have high blood sugar, this too can pose a number of problems. This condition is called hyperglycemia. Diabetes is the most common problem caused. There are others including kidney, eye and nerve damage as well.

Diabetes is the main problem for those that have high blood pressure. Diabetes can cause a variety of complications including doubled risk levels for cardiovascular disease, chronic renal failure, retinal damage (which can lead to blindness) nerve damage, erectile dysfunction and the inability for the body to heal well. When infection sets in, it may spread quickly, which is the case of gangrene which may then require amputation to stop it.

One study done at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that a patient that is able to lower their blood sugar levels will reduce their risks of coronary heart disease. This is the case for both those that are suffering from diabetes as well as non diabetic patients.
The study found that long term blood glucose levels predict the level of heart disease risk that you face.

Indeed, these risks can end a person’s life early and should be enough reason to consider making lifestyle changes that can improve your blood sugar levels. Yet, often, it is not enough.
Those that do suffer from high blood sugar levels are often depressed, have a low self esteem and are generally unhappy. The fact is that by improving your level of blood sugar, you can improve these situations as well.

Improving blood sugar levels is the key to avoiding or reducing your health risks here. Throughout the next chapters, we touch on several key ways to make this happen.