ELI5. Why does recovery from an injury or cut, takes longer time for a person with high blood sugar than a normal person
In: 69
I’m not sure it’s solely the fact that someone has high blood sugar leading to impairment of wound healing, but it does contribute. Diabetics have increased blood sugar for one of two reasons. 1) autoimmune destruction of cells in the pancreas responsible for insulin production (type 1 diabetic), or 2) insulin resistance in tissues (type 2 diabetics). As a net result of inefficient insulin use in the body regardless of type, blood sugars run high in addition to numerous other abnormal physiologic changes in a diabetics body that render them immunocompromised by definition. Wound healing involves numerous mechanisms that are not functioning as efficiently in someone with diabetes as a result. Some of these mechanisms include but are not limited to:
-decreased or impaired growth factor production
-the specific angiogenic response (that is – the ability of new blood vessels to form from preexisting vessels in the area)
-macrophage function (a cell that sends chemical signals for wound healing among other important functions)
-collagen accumulation (new tissue being laid down)
-the degree of neuropathy (issues with signal transduction) and vasculopathy (disease of arteries and veins that can lead to abnormal blood blow to specific areas)
-This is important because bleeding is healing…
There are plenty of other potential mechanisms.
So to answer your question in one line: it’s not as simple as just having high blood sugar that leads to impaired wound healing.
Sources: I’m in PA school and UpToDate
Hope this helps 🙂
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