I am a newly diagnosed type 1 diabetic and doing research into how to manage everything. I keep seeing to keep blood sugar under 180mg/dl and damage starts there. But why?
Wouldn’t everyone be different? Also what is so damaging at that number? I understand the damage to the kidneys overworking to clean the sugar out but why would it hurt blood vessels in the extremities and eyes?
Is it just that the sugar thickens the blood too much or something?
Basically I understand that high blood sugar causes damage but why? And why specifically at 180mg/dl?
In: Biology
The average persons blood has sugar in it so our muscles can suck it up to break down to make energy. But just like most poison the most important thing is the DOSE over time.
Sugar is very sticky and sticks to the inside of your veins and arteries and also nerves if it is at high levels hanging around in the blood and not being used. Your blood vessels are tubes and like to be alllll the way open without anything sticking to the sides as this risks a blockage. If there’s a blockage then blood (and ultimately oxygen) can’t flow.
If your vessels are blocked with too much sugary coating over time it can lead to blockage in the vessels of the brain (stroke), heart (heart attack), kidneys (kidney failure) or blockage of vessels in the legs (can lead to amputation).
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