The ABC's of Diabetes Care

Today's post is from one of our student volunteers, Erika! She has put together a helpful explanation of all the aspects of diabetes care, how often they should be monitored, and why. We know it's a lot to do, but knowing why it matters can help keep you focused!

Introducing the "ABC’s" of Diabetes Care

There are many aspects to diabetes care and it can be difficult to remember each one. Here is a list of important tests or aspects of diabetes care, how often they should be done, and why. These are goals for most patients with diabetes but your diabetes care team may give you personal goals to follow.

Exam	How often	Goal	Why
A1C	Every 3-6 months	Less than 7%	This is the average blood glucose for the last 2-3 months; your doctor can see changes and make adjustments if needed.
Blood Pressure	Every doctors visit	140/80mm Hg	Uncontrolled blood pressure can lead to heart problems including heart disease.
Cholesterol	Every year	LDL: less than 100mg/dL HDL: men -above 40mg/dL, women-above 50mg/dL Triglycerides: less than 150mg/dL	Diabetes lowers the HDL and raises LDL and triglycerides, leading to heart disease and stroke.
Dental exam	Every 3-6 months	Healthy teeth and gums	Diabetes increases the risk of gum disease, this infection also interferes with blood sugar control.
Eye exam	Every year	Detect early signs of glaucoma, cataracts, retinopathy or other damage	Poorly controlled blood sugar increases pressure in the eyes and causes damage.
Foot care	Every year by a doctor, every day at home	Look for wounds and pay attention to any numbness or weakness	Diabetes reduces the skins ability to heal and your ability to feel your feet causing wounds to go unnoticed.
Glucose monitoring	Before and after meals	Before meal: 70-130mg/dL After meal: less than 180mg/dL	Continual checking allows for better blood sugar control and reduces risk of extreme highs and lows.
Health Maintenance – Diabetes education	Every year, more often for complications	Understanding of diabetes and lifestyle changes to make to maintain healthy blood glucose	Proper nutrition and exercise can improve blood glucose control and reduce need for medications.
Immunizations	Flu shot every year, pneumonia and hepatitis B as needed	Reduce risk of getting the flu, pneumonia and hepatitis B	People with diabetes have a higher risk of death if they contract the flu or pneumonia.
Jogging/Exercise	3-5 days a week	150 minutes aerobic exercise each week, strength training twice a week	Exercise helps reduce or maintain weight, increases insulin uptake and lower blood glucose.
Kidneys	Every year	Urine sample shows no sign of protein	Uncontrolled blood sugar can damage the kidneys and lead to kidney failure

Does that help clear it up? What part of diabetes care is the hardest for you to get done? Share in the comments below!