Understanding the Natural History of Diabetes Mellitus: Progression through Pre-diabetes to Chronic Complications such as Blindness

The community nurse cares for a client who has experienced blindness as a result of diabetes. In the natural history of diabetes mellitus, the nurse identifies the onset of blindness reflects which of the following stages?

ClinicalExplanation: Also known as the culmination stage, the disease or health condition causes sufficient anatomic or functional changes to produce recognizable signs and symptoms.

The natural history of diabetes mellitus consists of several stages that reflect the progressive nature of the disease. The onset of blindness is a complication associated with the later stages of the disease.

The stages of natural history of diabetes mellitus are as follows:

1. Pre-diabetes: This stage occurs when a person’s blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not high enough to be diagnosed with diabetes. It is also known as impaired fasting glucose or impaired glucose tolerance.
2. Type 2 diabetes: This stage occurs when a person’s blood glucose levels are consistently elevated. It is often accompanied by insulin resistance, a condition where the body becomes resistant to the effects of insulin.
3. Chronic complications: This stage occurs after several years of uncontrolled diabetes. Chronic complications can affect various organs such as the eyes, kidneys, nerves, and blood vessels.
4. Acute complications: This stage occurs due to drastic changes in blood glucose levels, such as hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia. These complications can be life-threatening if left untreated.

Blindness is a chronic complication of diabetes mellitus that occurs as a result of long-term uncontrolled blood glucose levels. Therefore, the onset of blindness reflects the chronic complication stage in the natural history of diabetes mellitus.

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