Physical and psychological long-term consequences of diabetes mellitus

Abstract

Despite improvements in the treatment of diabetes and better care conditions, those affected still have a significantly increased risk of physical and psychological complications and a reduced quality of life compared to the general population. About 21% of all deaths in Germany are due to diabetes and its complications, and the mortality risk for people with diabetes is more than 1.5 times higher than for people without diabetes. This review describes the prevalence and risk factors for the most common physical and psychological complications of diabetes as well as their influences on patients’ quality of life. Associations between the complications and increased mortality are shown. In large intervention studies, the importance of good glucose control – especially at the beginning of the disease – has been shown regarding a reduction in the mortality rate. Other important influencing factors include blood pressure, blood lipids, and smoking. Worldwide study results indicate a stable trend about improved life expectancy of people with diabetes in recent years. In the future, the positive trend could be continued through better care structures and new technologies as well as digital devices in research and therapy. With the help of precision medicine, individual risk factors and protective factors could be identified to even better prevent the development of complications.