As complicated as the disease is, diabetes is known to cause adverse effects on different body parts and organs. Uncontrolled diabetes causes high levels of blood glucose which causes damage and disruptions to the blood vessels which include the arteries, the capillaries, and the veins. Each of these is responsible for their own individual functions and diabetes can lead to a complete destruction of the same. In this article, we shall try to analyze the causes as to how does diabetes affect the blood vessels of the patient’s body.

How Can Complications in Diabetes Affect the Blood Vessels?

It is a well-known fact that various diabetic complications can lead to damage caused in various blood vessels of the body. When blood vessels of a particular organ are damaged effectively, the particular organ ceases to function in a normal healthy manner. The organs which are at a higher risk owing to diabetes and its related complications include the heart, the eyes, the human brain, as well as those of the kidneys.

Effect of Diabetes on the Blood Vessels

Diabetes has a damaging effect on the normal functioning of the blood vessels due to the following reasons:

• In diabetes, patients often suffer from high levels of blood glucose. In the long run, the high blood glucose proves damaging to the various blood vessels of the body.
• Nitric oxide is an important element which smoothness function of the blood vessels. The high blood glucose levels slow the release of this important element with the result that the blood vessels of the patient tend to narrow down over a period of time.
• If you are someone who suffers from diabetes and its related complications, the blood will often carry what is known as Advanced Glycation End Products or AGEs as they are called. AGEs are the result of a process which leads to the glycation of fats and proteins when the blood in the body carries excess glucose or sugar.
• When you are someone who suffers from diabetes, you can experience reduced levels of fatty acid synthase. This fatty acid synthase helps the above-mentioned nitrous oxide to function efficiently and enables the compound to administer smooth functioning of the blood vessels.
• What makes nitrous oxide function efficiently and produce healthy blood vessels is known as the process of palmitoylation. When you suffer from diabetes, the lack of the fatty acid synthase disrupts the process of palmitoylation, thereby leading to ineffective functioning of the blood vessels.
• Finally, a few studies conducted by the experts tend to suggest that another reason why diabetes leads to contraction of the blood vessels is a protein by the name of kinase C.

Thus, as seen above, diabetes can cause disruption in the normal functioning of the blood vessels due to the possibility of raised glucose levels.

Clogging of the Blood Vessels

When blood vessels get damaged due to the reasons cited above, the body deposits cholesterol so that the vessels do not suffer from any kind of additional damage. But, due to this protection, there are chances that you will suffer from the problem of atherosclerosis or clogged blood vessels. It also increases the blood pressure in the body thereby leading to further damage. Hence, it is really important to keep away from damaged blood vessels and try to keep them as healthy as possible.

How to Keep Your Blood Vessels Healthy?

As seen above, damaged blood vessels can adversely affect the normal functioning of the important organs of the body. Hence, it is imperative that the blood vessels be healthy. In light of this, let us look into some of the easy and simple ways in which we can achieve the same:

• As much as possible, try to keep the blood glucose levels within the recommended range
• Eat well-planned meals under the supervision of your medical expert
• Keep cholesterol and triglycerides levels within the recommended range
• Take as little stress as possible
• Quit smoking and reduce the consumption of alcohol
• Shed extra calories off your body
• Indulge in regular physical activity

We hope that the above article has been helpful in improving your understanding of the relationship between diabetes and the adverse effect diabetes causes on the different blood vessels of the body. Preventing blood vessels from any kind of damage is extremely important and you should take appropriate steps to control your diabetes and the elevated levels of blood glucose.