In cells, the Endoplasmic Reticulum acts as protector of sorts. Scientists are only recently discovering that the damage caused by high blood sugar levels actually affects diabetics at a cellular level. There has been much talk in scientific circles lately about Endoplasmic Reticular Stress, or ER Stress. High Blood Sugar Levels - A Cellular Story In all types of Diabetes, the damage caused by high blood sugar levels can lead to a litany of complications. "In the presence of chronic ER stress, such as we see in obesity, the effect of ER stress on metabolic regulation would lead to the development of insulin resistance and, eventually, type 2 Diabetes." This quote is from an article published in Science Magazine in October of 2004. It has been found in multiple studies that ER stress is present in people with Diabetes, and may very well be a marker to indicate the onset of insulin resistance, or Type 2 Diabetes. But even with medication, blood sugar levels are inevitably elevated over time and cause vascular damage, leading to heart disease, stroke, amputations and other serious complications.

When the body either resists insulin or stops producing its own insulin, blood sugar control becomes impossible without injected insulin and/or oral medications.