Photo by Owen Smith
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10 Easy Ways to Beat Diabetes
By Kelly Griffin, November & December 2005
If you’ve been diagnosed with diabetes, take charge of your health with these must-do measures, recommended by experts in the field
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1. Use a home blood-glucose meter to test your blood, and discover how food, exercise, and medication affect your blood sugar. Get an A1c test every six months, or as directed by your doctor, to make sure A1c is below 7 percent, if possible.
2. Diabetes raises your risk of heart disease two to four fold. Experts suggest you use diet or drugs to lower blood fats, keeping your LDL ("bad") cholesterol below 100 mg/dl and your triglycerides below 150 mg/dl.
3. High blood pressure can accelerate eye and kidney disease. If yours is above 130/80 mm Hg, ask your doctor how to lower blood pressure. Drugs called ACE inhibitors reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke, and kidney disease in people with diabetes.
4. Laser therapy can prevent or delay blindness, but it must be done in the earliest stages of diabetic retinopathy—long before there are noticeable symptoms. Get an annual dilated-eye exam, preferably from an ophthalmologist familiar with diabetes.
5. The earliest warning sign of declining kidney function is protein in the urine. Take an annual urine test to detect it. ACE inhibitors, which reduce blood pressure, may be the best way to slow the progression of kidney damage.
6. Check your feet daily for blisters, cuts, or cracks in the skin, especially if you experience flulike symptoms, which may be your only warning of a foot infection. Have a foot examination at least once a year, including an assessment for nerve damage using the Semmes-Weinstein monofilament test.
7. People with diabetes are three times more likely to die from complications of the flu or pneumonia than are people without diabetes, so experts recommend that you get vaccinated for pneumococcal pneumonia at least once, and for the flu every year.
8. Most people with diabetes who are age 40 or older should take a baby aspirin daily (or half an adult- aspirin tablet) to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke. Ask your doctor if aspirin therapy is right for you.
9. If you're experiencing persistent feelings of sadness or lack of interest in your usual activities, ask your doctor about depression. People with diabetes are at increased risk for the condition.
10. You are the captain of your health care team. Take notes, ask questions, and demand the best care. People who do this have the best chance of living healthy lives.
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