World Diabetes Day 2025
Diabetes can silently damage every artery in the body. Learn how early vascular screening detects atherosclerosis before symptoms appear and why protecting your circulation is essential on World Diabetes Day.
World Diabetes Day — Vascular Screening in 60 Seconds
Did you know diabetes can damage every artery in the body, often long before symptoms appear? When blood sugar remains high, it injures the inner lining of the arteries. This leads to inflammation, plaque formation and progressive narrowing — a process known as atherosclerosis.
These blockages can develop in any major artery:
• In the heart, causing heart attacks
• In the brain, causing strokes
• In the legs, leading to poor circulation, ulcers and even gangrene
The good news is that early damage can be detected using simple, non-invasive vascular tests. An ankle–brachial pressure index (ABPI) or an arterial duplex ultrasound can assess blood flow and identify arterial disease long before complications develop.
And here’s the serious part: once a diabetic foot ulcer appears, the five-year mortality risk can double due to infection, amputation or underlying cardiovascular disease.
This World Diabetes Day, remember — early vascular screening saves lives. If you have diabetes, monitoring your arteries is one of the most important steps you can take to protect your long-term health.