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December 9, 2002

Complications

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Question from :

If diabetes isn’t treated, what problems can occur with the liver or kidneys?

Answer:

From: DTeam Staff

Untreated diabetes is not a very pretty picture — I would not suggest you go this route. The liver can be stuffed full of fat from untreated diabetes resulting in a form of hepatitis called non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) which can lead to severe liver disease in rare cases. The kidneys can fail necessitating dialysis. This usually takes 10 years or more to develop but is related to the severity of the glucose elevations and may occur more rapidly if the sugar is very high. Other side effects include blindness, nerve damage, and accelerated heart disease.

JTL