Insulin vs. glucose

I was in this discussion on another board, but decided to also post it here because of its importance and for interest.

  "The primary factor for heart disease in diabetics is insulin damage, not damage from glucose."-Hv

Same difference. Insulin damage is caused by glucose.

No, they are not the same thing.  Insulin has totally different properties depending on the level to begin with.  Secondly glucose and insulin are two totally separate entities and create different adverse effects in diabetics.  Insulin is responsible for the diabetic retinopathy, kidney failure, gangrene and much of the heart disease.  Glucose is responsible for the diabetic cataracts, elevation of triglycerides that are believed to play a role in heart disease and some of the beta cell damage in later stages of type 2 diabetes.-Hv