Diabetes Education

Diabetes is a lifelong disease characterized by high levels of the sugar glucose in the blood. High blood sugar is caused by the body’s inability to make insulin or respond to insulin normally. Glucose comes from food and is the main energy source for the body. Insulin is the hormone produced by the pancreas that is responsible for telling organs such as the liver, muscle, and fat to remove glucose from the blood. When there is not enough insulin, or these organs can’t respond to insulin, less glucose gets into cells to be stored for energy. As a result, blood glucose levels rise. High blood glucose over many years can lead to serious long-term complications such as heart disease, nerve disease, kidney disease, and eye disease. For this reason, control of blood sugar is an important part of managing diabetes.