4 STEPS TO MANAGE YOUR
DIABETES LIFE
Each year, 1.7 million Americans,
ages 20 and up, are diagnosed
with diabetes. People
with diabetes have high levels of
blood glucose (also called blood
sugar). If left undiag nosed or
untreated, diabetes can lead to
heart disease, stroke, kidney disease,
blindness, and other health
problems. That’s why it’s important
to manage your diabetes
ABCs: A1C (blood glucose),
blood pressure, and cholesterol.
The 4 steps below are a good
start.
Step 1: Learn about diabetes.
If you’ve got diabetes,
you need to make healthy food
choices, move more every day,
stay at a healthy weight, and
take recommended medicines
even when you feel good.
Step 2: Talk to your health
care team about how to manage
your A1C, blood pressure, and
cholesterol. Know your ABC
goals, and track your progress.
Step 3: Learn how to live
with diabetes. Even if you know
the steps you should take to stay
healthy, you may have trouble
sticking with these steps over
time. Work with your health
care team to make a plan that
will work for you.
Step 4: Get routine care to
stay healthy. See your health
care team at least twice a year
to find and treat any problems
early. Once each year, be sure
to get a dilated eye exam and a
complete foot exam.
Get more details and inspiration
for managing diabetes
at this NIH web page:
www.niddk.nih.gov/health-
information/diabetes/manage-
monitoring-diabetes.
Healthy Living | Winter Issue | 2017–2018 5