A 39-year-old member asked:
Can you please tell me why diabetes, if severe, causes a coma?
1 doctor answer • 2 doctors weighed in
Dr. William Singeranswered
Pediatric Neurology 52 years experience
Diabetic coma: When blood sugar goes excessively high, diabetics may not be able to metabolize it. There will be a build up of ketones as a result and a shift of the acid-base balance of the body and brain to an acidotic state. The build up sugar and ketones will alter the movement of minerals in and out of the brain cells causing abnormal function leading to coma.
4.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Last updated Aug 26, 2013
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