Myths And Facts About Diabetes Often the false beliefs and myths about diabetes outweigh the reality and the facts. Blatant untruths circulate and are presented as proven facts. Diabetes is a chronic disease that can lead to complications serious, often fatal, including cardiovascular problems, amputations, coma, and blindness. Recently, Canadian researchers determined that the life expectancy of people with diabetes was, on average, 13 years lower than those of non-diabetics. The myths surrounding diabetes reinforce the stigma, the pain it causes, and most importantly, the misunderstanding and misdiagnosis. It is important to be aware of the facts about diabetes to distance yourself from myths and food legends. For older people, a better understanding of this disease develops the right attitude to cautiously deal with risks.