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Diabetic Goals
To have a long and healthy life, the goal of every diabetic, no matter what type, should be to keep their glucose under as good control as they can manage, as close to the non-diabetic range as they can, without experiencing dangerous lows.
The primary reason for this is that evidence clearly shows that the better your control is, the lower your chances of developing diabetic complications are. (1)
What are the immediate complications that can happen from too low glucose?
- Unconsciousness Brain Damage
- Heart Problems
- Seizures
- Coma leading to Death
What are complications that can and do happen from high glucose over a long period of time?
- Vision problems including blindness
- Heart and circulation problems such as heart attack, stroke, and Peripheral Artery Disease
- Kidney Problems
- Nerve Damage
- Impotence
- Amputation
- Gastroparesis
- Leg Ulcers
What is a non-diabetic glucose level?
- The American Diabetes Association sets the goal of A1c at 7% or lower
- The American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists sets it at 6.5% or lower
- The Nice guideline is A1c, between 6.5 and 7.5 depending on personal circumstances
You want the readings on your glucose meter to be under 140 (7.8 UK and Canadian) 2 hours after you eat.
The goal for fasting readings when you wake up should be under 140, but how much under that is a very individual thing, and should be set by a medical professional. If they are set too low, you run the risk of going too low (hypo) while you are sleeping, this can be very dangerous.
In addition, there is evidence that how much your glucose varies from reading to reading is important in preventing complications, independent of your average glucose. (2)
When analyzing the causes of death for a diabetic, though there are as many as for non-diabetics, one cause stands out like a sore thumb, heart problems. Statistically, you are at about the same risk as a person who has had a heart attack.
So, what can you do to help yourself out in this area?
- 1. Talk to your doctor about taking a low dose aspirin, if you are not already.
- 2. Do what you need to do to get good glucose control.
- 3. Do what is needed to get your blood pressure down to 130/80 or lower
- 4. Get your lipids under control. This means Cholesterol and Triglycerides
- 5. Get your weight under control, this means less stress on your the heart.
- 6. Exercise
- 7. Don't Smoke
Meeting all the goals outlined here is no small undertaking say the least, but it is worthwhile! Do what you can, strive for improvement. It's not an all or nothing thing, every improvement you make reduces the chances of bad things happening. |
