Living With Diabetes
It is a well-documented fact that controlling blood sugars in patients with diabetes will help to avoid and prevent the worsening of long term complications such as eye, kidney and nerve damage. In young people with no diabetes-related complications, the hgb a1c – which reflects blood sugars for the previous three months – should be maintained below 7.0. In senior populations which have had diabetes for many years, may already have diabetes chronic complications and may have other comorbid conditions, an hgb a1c goal of less than 8.0 may be more reasonable.
Various means are available to attain these goals:
- A healthy diet and regular exercise are essential to blood sugar control
- Taking the medications as prescribed by your physician on a daily basis is also necessary for keeping blood sugars in optimum range.
- Testing blood sugars on a regular basis with adjustment of medication is also important for achieving optimal control, depending on your medication type.
OTHER WAYS TO ACHIEVE YOUR DIABETES GOALS
Following up with your doctor at regular intervals for office visits allows for monitoring of your diabetic status and other medical conditions. Educating yourself from reliable sources such as materials from the American Diabetes Association and going to diabetes education classes also enables you to achieve your goals.
Raleigh Medical Group will be providing you with assistance in these areas to achieve an hgb a1c goal of better than 8.0. Some people may even wish to achieve tighter control of diabetes depending on your overall condition and goals.
