Managing diabetes for optimum health by following ABCs
Mark A. Mahoney
November is National Diabetes Month, a time when communities across the country seek to bring attention to diabetes. National Diabetes Month offers an opportunity to spotlight this critical public health issue and inspire people to take charge of their health.
This year’s focus is on taking action to prevent diabetes health problems.
Diabetes is a disease that occurs when your blood glucose, also called blood sugar, is too high. The latest statistics from the American Heart Association (Jan. 2024) note: 9.7 million adults have undiagnosed diabetes with an additional 29.3 million having diagnosed diabetes.
Diabetes affects about 38 million Americans, including adults and youth. Diabetes can damage the eyes, kidneys, nerves, and heart, and it is linked to some types of cancer.
Another nearly 115.9 million adults in the U.S. have prediabetes — and many don’t realize it.
The objective of today’s column is to provide a broad overview with a primary focus on diabetes. An upcoming column will provide a more detailed look at prediabetes and note the importance of intervening prior to the development of type 2 diabetes.
Here are some tips to get started.
Know your risk for developing diabetes
You are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes if you have overweight or obesity; are age 35 or older; have a family history of diabetes; are African American, American Indian, Asian American, Hispanic or Latino, or Pacific Islander; are not physically active; or have prediabetes.
Manage your blood glucose, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels
Preventing diabetes or managing diabetes as soon as possible after diagnosis may help diabetes health problems. You can start by managing your diabetes ABCs.
• A is for the A1C test that health care professionals use to measure your average blood glucose levels. Some people with diabetes also use a device to track their blood glucose throughout the day and night.• B is for blood pressure.• C is for cholesterol.
Ask your health care team what your ABCs goals should be.
Take small steps toward healthy habits
Lifestyle habits such as planning healthy meals, being physically active, getting enough sleep, and not smoking may help you prevent diabetes or manage your diabetes ABCs. You don’t have to do it all at once. Start slow and build healthier habits from there.
Take your medicines on time
Remember to take your medicines even if you feel healthy. Talk with your doctor or pharmacist if you have trouble taking your medicines on time or at the correct dose.
Reach or maintain a healthy weight
If you have overweight or obesity, ask your primary care provider if healthy eating, physical activity, or other weight-loss treatments may help you manage your weight.
You may be able to prevent or delay diabetes by losing 5 to 7 percent of your starting weight. Use the Diabetes Risk Management Calculator (see reference at end of column) to determine how much weight you can lose to help reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Take care of your mental health
Managing diabetes can be hard. If you feel down, sad, or overwhelmed, learn about healthy ways to deal with stress. Consider talking to a mental health counselor or joining a support group.
Work with your health care team
Managing diabetes takes a team. Your health care team may include a primary care provider, diabetes specialist, registered dietitian, or certified diabetes educator. Ask your primary care provider if you should talk with other health care professionals about preventing or managing diabetes.
Diabetes medicines, devices, and office visits can be expensive. A social worker or a member of your health care team may be able to help you find community resources or financial help for diabetes care.Thanks to the National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Disease of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for much of today’s content.
Additional references/resource information
Check out diabetes.org to take the American Diabetes Association’s Type 2 Diabetes Risk Test.
A good resource for healthier lifestyle habits can be found at Healthy Living with Diabetes – NIDDK.
Mark Mahoney has been a Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist for almost 40 years and completed graduate studies in Public Health at Columbia University. He can be reached at [email protected].
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