Type 2 Diabetes Found to Double the Risk of Sepsis

Dr. Joseph Mercola - Take Control of Your Health

Briana Mercola

Health & Fitness, Alternative Health

4.6 • 1.5K Ratings

🗓️ 29 November 2025

⏱️ 9 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Sepsis is a life-threatening overreaction of your immune system to infection, causing widespread inflammation and organ failure when not treated quickly
A large Australian study found people with Type 2 diabetes were twice as likely to develop sepsis, with the highest risk seen in men, smokers, and younger adults aged 41 to 50
Chronic high blood sugar and insulin resistance weaken immune defenses, impairing white blood cell function, slowing wound healing, and allowing common infections like urinary or skin infections to escalate into sepsis
Managing diabetes through blood sugar control, physical activity, sunlight exposure, and eliminating vegetable oils and refined sugar restores insulin sensitivity and lowers the likelihood of severe infection
You can further reduce infection and sepsis risk by maintaining wound hygiene, treating infections promptly, eating nutrient-rich foods, managing chronic conditions, and avoiding habits like nail-biting

Transcript

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0:00.0	What if a common infection could spiral so fast that your organs begin to fail?
0:04.0	And if you have type 2 diabetes, your odds of that happening are doubled.
0:09.0	Welcome to Dr. Mercola's cellular wisdom.
0:12.0	Stay informed with quick, easy-to-listen summaries of our latest articles, perfect for when you're on the go.
0:18.0	No reading required. Subscribe for free at Mercola.com for the latest
0:21.7	health insights. Hello and welcome to Dr. Mercola's cellular wisdom. I'm Ethan Foster,
0:26.8	and today we're looking at sepsis, how it develops, why type 2 diabetes magnifies the danger,
0:33.4	and what you can do now to cut your risk. I'm Alara Sky. Cepsis is a life-threatening organ dysfunction,
0:40.3	triggered by a dysregulated response to infection.
0:43.3	In the U.S., over 1.7 million people develop sepsis each year,
0:48.3	and about 350,000 die.
0:52.3	Globally, 350,000 it's involved in one in five deaths. Those numbers make early
0:59.2	recognition and prevention essential. Sepsis often starts with everyday infections,
1:05.0	U-T-I-S, pneumonia, skin wounds, or mild intestinal infections, and most cases actually begin outside hospitals.
1:13.6	The overreaction unfolds as immune cells release cytokines.
1:17.6	If that release becomes excessive, the blood vessel lining turns leaky.
1:21.6	Blood pressure drops, microclots form, and organs are starved of oxygen.
1:26.6	Without rapid care, this can progress to
1:29.0	severe sepsis and then septic shock. You can remember key warning signs with time. Temperature
1:35.0	higher or lower than normal. Signs of infection now or recently. Mental decline like confusion
1:40.9	or unusual sleepiness. And feeling extremely ill. Another memory cue is
1:46.8	sepsis, shivering or fever, extreme pain, pale or clammy skin, sleepiness or confusion.
	...

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