for diabetes can help you prevent long-term. problems such as heart disease, stroke, and eye, teaching you about diabetes care, and checking. on your A-1-C, …
Getting the Very Best Care for Your Diabetes
Toolkit No 2
Following guidelines from the American Diabetes Association ADA can help people with diabetes live longer, healthier lives Called the Standards of Care, these guidelines describe basic care for people with diabetes Getting up-to-date care for diabetes can help you prevent long-term problems such as heart disease, stroke, and eye, foot, or kidney problems Most of the day-to-day care of diabetes is up to you You can make choices that will have a positive effect on your diabetes You choose what, when, and how much to eat You decide whether to be physically active You take your medications and keep track of your blood glucose sugar levels on your own Your health care team helps by providing information, teaching you about diabetes care, and checking on your A-1-C, blood pressure, cholesterol, and other measures
Your health care team can teach you about diabetes care
Smoking If you smoke, ask your health care provider about a plan to help you quit
Check at Least Every 36 Months
A-1-C The A-1-C is the blood glucose check with a memory It tells you your average blood glucose for the past 2 to 3 months If your A-1-C is not on
target, meal planning, physical activity, and medications can help Work with your health care team to plan your strategy
What should happen during visits to my health care provider?
The Standards of Care describe what should happen at your health care provider visits throughout the year You can use the following sections to make sure your health care team is up-to-date on what you need for good diabetes care
Check at Least Once a Year
Cholesterol Your cholesterol numbers tell you the amount of fat in your blood Some kinds, like HDL cholesterol, help protect your heart Others, like LDL cholesterol, can clog your blood vessels and lead to heart disease Triglycerides are another kind of blood fat that raises your risk for a heart attack or a stroke If your cholesterol levels are not on target, meal planning, physical activity, and medications can help Work with your health care team to plan your strategy Microalbumin The microalbumin test is a check for small amounts of protein in the urine The results will tell you how well your kidneys function
Check at Every Office Visit
Blood Pressure Your blood pressure numbers tell you the force of blood flow inside your vessels When your
blood pressure is high, your heart has to work harder If your blood pressure is not on target, meal planning, physical activity, and medications can help Work with your health care team to plan your strategy Weight Preventing weight gain or losing weight may be part of your diabetes care plan If you need to lose wei 
ght, a 10- to 15-pound loss can help you reach your blood pressure, blood glucose, and cholesterol goals Work with your health care team to plan your strategy
Foot Exam Your health care provider can check your feet for signs of nerve damage or other problems Foot problems can be avoided if detected and treated early One of the most important foot tests is to see whether you can feel the vibration of a tuning fork or the light touch of a thin wire called a monofilament Eye Exam Your health care provider can refer you to an eye doctor to check the blood vessels in your eyes for early warning signs of damage The eye doctor must put drops in your eyes that dilate your pupils in order to do a thorough exam Treatment can help slow eye disease if its found early Flu Shot and Pneumonia Vaccine Every year, ask for a flu shot to keep from getting sick You should get the pneumonia
vaccine at least once When you turn 65, you should get another pneumonia vaccine, unless you have had one within the past 5 years Diabetes Education and Nutrition Counseling If you need a change in your diabetes management plan, your health care provider should refer you for diabetes education and nutrition counseling
Tracking Your Targets
The ADA suggests these targets for most people with diabetes You may have different targets You can record your targets and your results in the spaces provided here
What to Do
At Every Office Visit Review blood glucose numbers Before meals 90130 mg/dl
ADA Targets
My Targets
My Results Date Date
2 hours after the Below 180 mg/dl start of a meal Check blood pressure Review meal plan Review activity level Check weight
Discuss questions or concerns
Below 130/80 mmHg
At Least Every 36 Months A-1-C Below 7
At Least Once a Year Physical exam Cholesterol LDL cholesterol Below 100 mg/dl Above 40 mg/dl for men Above 50 mg/dl for women Below 150 mg/dl
How can I take charge of my diabetes care?
Review the following list and place a check mark next to the things youd like to talk about with your health care team Take this list with you to your next
checkup What are the best targets for my A-1-C, blood pressure, and cholesterol? What can help me reach my A-1-C target? When is my next A-1-C check? What can help me reach my blood pressure target? What can help me reach my cholesterol targets? How can I learn more about taking care of my diabetes?
HDL cholesterol
Triglycerides Dilated eye exam Microalbumin Flu shot Once Pneumonia vaccine
Below 30 g/mg creatinine
American Diabetes Association 1800DIABETES 3422383 wwwdiabetesorg
2004 by the American Diabetes Association, Inc 03/04
Source:bethanymedicalcenter.com
