How serious is type 2 diabetes?

There is no cure for type 2 diabetes.

People with diabetes are at risk of developing severe complications such as:

Heart attack - people with type 2 diabetes are four times more likely to develop heart disease.

Stroke - people with type 2 diabetes are four times more likely to have a stroke.

Kidney failure - people with type 2 diabetes develop kidney damage at three times the rate of people who do not have type 2 diabetes.

Blindness - eye damage caused by type 2 diabetes (retinopathy) affects one in six people with type 2 diabetes and is the most common form of blindness in adults aged 30–60 years.

Amputation - people with type 2 diabetes are 15 times more likely to have an amputation.