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Monitor Diabetes : Seven Principles for Diabetes Control
Principle 5: Monitor Your Diabetes ABCs To reduce your risk for diabetes problems such as blindness, kidney disease, losing a foot or leg, and early death from heart attack or stroke, you and your health care team need to monitor the diabetes ABCs: A1C, Blood pressure, and Cholesterol. Talk to your health care team about how to reach your target numbers. The target A1C for most people with diabetes is less than 7. The A1C test is usually done by your doctor. It measures how well your blood glucose has been controlled over the last three months. This test is very important because it tells how well you are taking care of your diabetes over the long term. It should be done at least twice a year. * The target A1C for most people with diabetes is less than 7. Ask your health care team what your A1C is and keep a dated record of the results. Discuss your A1C target with your health care team and write it down. Discuss what you need to do to reach your target. Check Your Own Blood Glucose (Test blood sugar level) You may need to check your own blood glucose on a regular basis to help control your diabetes. It will tell you what your blood glucose is at the time you test. Keep a record of your results and show it to your health care team. Some meters and test strips report blood glucose results as plasma glucose values which are 10 to 15 percent higher than whole blood glucose values. Ask your doctor or pharmacist whether your meter and strips provide whole blood or plasma results. The target glucose range for most people using whole blood is 80 to 120 before meals and 100 to 140 at bedtime. The target glucose range for most people using plasma is 90 to 130 before meals and 110 to 150 at bedtime. Talk to your health care team about the best ways to check your own blood glucose. Ask your health care team what your blood glucose targets are before meals, after meals, and at bedtime and write them down. Ask what to do if your blood glucose is often higher or lower than it should be. Ask how to get the supplies you need to do the tests. Most insurance companies, including Medicare, now pay for diabetes supplies. Know Your Blood Pressure High blood pressure makes your heart work too hard. This leads to strokes and other problems such as kidney disease. Your blood pressure should be checked at every visit. You may need to check it yourself. * The target blood pressure for most people with diabetes is less than 130/80. Ask your health care team what your blood pressure is and keep a dated record of the results. Discuss your blood pressure target with your health care team and write it down. Discuss what you need to do to reach your target. Ask if you need to test your blood pressure yourself. If so, find out how, when, and what supplies you need. The target LDL cholesterol for most people whith diabetes is less than 100. Know Your Cholesterol LDL is the bad cholesterol that builds up in your blood vessels. It causes the vessels to narrow and harden, which can lead to a heart attack. Your doctor should check your LDL at least once a year. * The target LDL cholesterol for most people with diabetes is less than 100. Discuss your LDL cholesterol target with your health care team and keep a record of the results. Discuss what you need to do to reach your target. Keep a Record of Your Results Keeping a record of your results helps you reach your targets. It helps you know when you and your health care team need to take extra action. >>> >>>