The ABCs of Managing Your Diabetes Successfully
Diabetics need to manage their disease in order to avoid complications. There are 3 principals that need to be managed that can be referred to as the ABCs of managing diabetes.
The A stands for A1C test which is done by your doctor to measure how well your blood glucose has been managed over the last 3 months. This test is important and should be done twice a year. The target A1C for most diabetics is less than 7. You should know what your A1C # is and keep a dated record of your results so you can tell how well you are managing your diabetes. It is also important to record your regular blood glucose test results. The target glucose range using whole blood is typically between 80 and 120 before meals and 100 to 140 at bedtime. You should know what to do if the level is lower or higher than normal.
The B stands for blood pressure. Every diabetic should know what his or her current blood pressure is. High blood pressure causes your heart to work too hard and this can lead to strokes and other problems such as kidney disease. Every time you visit your doctor your blood pressure will be checked. You can also check it yourself by using a blood pressure kit at home. You may be asked to do this if your blood pressure increases during your doctor visits. The typical normal blood pressure for most individuals is 130/80. Your doctor will tell you what your normal target blood pressure reading is. You should write this down in your journal.
C stands for cholesterol. You should know what your cholesterol levels are. There are two levels, your LDL and your HDL. You ideally want your LDL to be low and your HDL to be high. The target LDL cholesterol for most individuals with diabetes is less than 100. Record your LDL level and ask your doctor what your target level should be.
You should keep a record of your ABC numbers: your A1C test result, your blood pressure readings and your cholesterol test readings. Knowing what your readings are can give you an idea of how well you are managing your diabetes. Knowing your ABC numbers is just another way of assessing how well you are doing with managing your diabetes and lets you know if you have areas that you need to improve on. If your numbers are not at target in any of the areas, you can ask your doctor for guidelines for improving your test results.
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