Diabetes is a disorder of metabolism-the way in which your body converts the food you eat into energy. Most of the food you eat is broken down by digestive juices into chemicals, including a simple sugar called glucose. Glucose is your body's main source of energy. After digestion, glucose passes into your bloodstream, where it is available for cells to take in and use or store for later use. In order for your cells to …showed first 75 words of 2242 total…

…showed last 75 words of 2242 total…percent that have glaucoma and 22 percent have cataracts. These conditions cause much of the vision impairment in people diagnosed with diabetes over age 30 (type 2). Risk of both cataracts and glaucoma increases with age. These conditions are another reason diabetics should have annual eye exams. If cataracts become severe, the eye lens can be replaced with an artificial lens. If glaucoma develops, it can be treated with medications that reduce the fluid pressure in the eye.