Per example, a toe or even a leg
In: Biology
The body’s inability to regulate your blood sugar level causes a lot of damage to the circulatory system. We think of our circulatory system as a way to bring blood and oxygen to our various body parts, but it does so much more than that. Blood delivers immune system cells, delivers hydrating fluids, and carries away cellular waste.
Patients with diabetes face a steady decline in circulatory system health, which leads to degraded function in all of these supporting areas. Eventually, patients see such degraded function that the tissues in their extremities — which are the hardest for our circulatory system to reach — start to break down due to wear and tear that can’t be repaired.
Then, if something as simple as a minor infection occurs, the circulatory system can’t deliver important immune system support, and the infection gets worse and worse. Eventually, doctors have a choice: let the infection spread and kill the patient, or cut the limb off.
It really is a sad and tragic thing that happens to people, and for most it is entirely preventable.
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