YourHealthMatters : Diabetes
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Work with your doctor to achieve the 5 goals for living well with diabetes:

  1. Keep your blood pressure under 140/90 mmHg
  2. Keep bad cholesterol (LDL) under 100mg/dl
  3. Keep blood sugar (A1C) less than 8% 
  4. Be tobacco-free
  5. Take aspirin daily as recommended

Talk to your doctor about your specific targets for living well with diabetes, as they may differ based on your individual needs.

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What is diabetes?

Diabetes (dye-uh-BEE-teez) is a disease that keeps your body from making or using insulin (IN-suh-lin). Insulin is a hormone made by your pancreas. Insulin helps turn the food you eat into energy your body needs.

When you have diabetes, your body doesn’t change food into energy as well as it should. Sugar builds up in your blood. If blood sugar stays too high, it can slowly cause damage to your heart, eyes, kidneys and feet. When diabetes is not controlled for long periods of time, it can lead to heart disease, blindness, kidney failure, and loss of fingers, toes, hands or feet.

How does diabetes affect people in our community?

diabetes_learn-details.jpg According to the Health Foundation's 2010 Health Status Survey, 11% of adults in Greater Cincinnati reported being told by a health care provider that they have diabetes. Additionally, adults ages 46 and older were more than twice as likely as adults ages 18-45 to have been told by a health care provider that they have diabetes.

Who is at risk for diabetes?

Risk factors for type 2 diabetes include:

  • Older age
  • Being overweight or obese
  • Family history of diabetes
  • Having diabetes during a pregnancy. This is called gestational diabetes.
  • Higher than normal levels of blood sugar. This is called impaired glucose tolerance or pre-diabetes.
  • Not exercising enough

What is recommended care for diabetes?

If you have diabetes, make sure you get regular check-ups that include these tests:

  • Blood pressure check
  • Blood test for A1C. This test shows the average blood sugar level for 2 to 3 months.
  • Blood test for cholesterol level. This test shows the level of cholesterol, a fat, waxy-like substance, in your blood.
  • Eye exam
  • Foot exam
  • Blood and urine tests to check how the kidneys are working

To help control your diabetes and prevent damage to your organs, you need to keep your blood sugar level as close to normal as possible. Talking with your doctor to understand diabetes can help you stay healthy and lower your chances of having heart disease, stroke or other problems.