Black History of Health: Della Reese

When we interviewed legendary entertainer Della Reese in July 2017, she stated then that her life was at stake due to her battle with diabetes. For this Black History of Health: Della Reese edition, we briefly look back at her diagnosis.

Although she pointed out that lifestyle changes led her to lose weight and manage some of her symptoms, it was not enough in the end. Shortly after we spoke to her, the “Harlem Nights” beloved actress passed just a few months later in November.

“She was an incredible wife, mother, grandmother, friend, and pastor, as well as an award-winning actress and singer. Through her life and work, she touched and inspired the lives of millions of people,” actress Roma Downey, Reese’s co-star on “Touched By an Angel”, said in a statement announcing Reese’s death, per Variety.

“She was a mother to me and I had the privilege of working with her side by side for so many years on ‘Touched by an Angel.’ I know heaven has a brand new angel this day. Della Reese will be forever in our hearts.”

Although the official cause is unknown, it’s easy to assume that it was due to her diabetes diagnosis that probably led to the beloved legend’s passing. So, what are the complications that can come from having diabetes?

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What are the complications of diabetes?

According to the Mayo Clinic, there is a wide range of complications that can arise from diabetes.

Long-term complications of diabetes develop gradually. The longer you have diabetes — and the less controlled your blood sugar — the higher the risk of complications.

Eventually, diabetes complications may be disabling or even life-threatening. Possible complications include:

• Cardiovascular disease. Diabetes dramatically increases the risk of various cardiovascular problems, including coronary artery disease with chest pain (angina), heart attack, stroke, and narrowing of arteries (atherosclerosis). If you have diabetes, you’re more likely to have heart disease or stroke.
• Nerve damage (neuropathy). Excess sugar can injure the walls of the tiny blood vessels (capillaries) that nourish your nerves, especially in your legs. This can cause tingling, numbness, burning, or pain that usually begins at the tips of the toes or fingers and gradually spreads upward.
• Left untreated, you could lose all sense of feeling in the affected limbs. Damage to the nerves related to digestion can cause problems with nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or constipation. For men, it may lead to erectile dysfunction.
• Kidney damage (nephropathy). The kidneys contain millions of tiny blood vessel clusters (glomeruli) that filter waste from your blood. Diabetes can damage this delicate filtering system.
• Severe damage can lead to kidney failure or irreversible end-stage kidney disease, which may require dialysis or a kidney transplant.
• Eye damage (retinopathy). Diabetes can damage the blood vessels of the retina (diabetic retinopathy), potentially leading to blindness. It also increases the risk of other serious vision conditions, such as cataracts and glaucoma.
• Foot damage. Nerve damage in the feet or poor blood flow to the feet increases infections that may ultimately require toe, foot, or leg amputation.
• Skin conditions. Diabetes may leave you more susceptible to skin problems, including bacterial and fungal infections.
• Hearing impairment. Hearing problems are more common in people with diabetes.
• Alzheimer’s disease. Type 2 diabetes may increase the risk of dementia, such as Alzheimer’s disease. The poorer your blood sugar control, the greater the risk appears to be.
• Although there are theories as to how these disorders might be connected, none has yet been proved.
• Depression. Depression symptoms are common in people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. It can affect diabetes management.

Treatments

The Mayo Clinic says that the best treatment for diabetes of all types is maintaining a healthy weight through a healthy diet and exercise plan:

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Healthy eating.

Contrary to popular perception, there’s no specific diabetes diet. You’ll need to center your diet on more fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains — foods that are high in nutrition and fiber and low in fat and calories — and cut down on saturated fats, refined carbohydrates, and sweets.

In fact, it’s the best eating plan for the entire family. Sugary foods are okay once in a while, as long as they’re counted as part of your meal plan.

Yet, understanding what and how much to eat can be a challenge.

A registered dietitian can help you create a meal plan that fits your health goals, food preferences, and lifestyle. This will likely include carbohydrate counting, especially if you have type 1 diabetes or use insulin as part of your treatment.

For more information, visit Diabetes.org.