American diabetes-month-2012-powerpoint-presentation
The ABCs of Diabetes
1. The ABCs of Diabetes
A = A1C: A1C is a blood test that shows
what your average blood sugar level has
been during the last few months.
B = Blood Pressure: Controlling your
blood pressure is just as important as
controlling your blood sugar with diabetes.
High blood pressure risks include: stroke,
heart attack, and kidney disease.
C = Cholesterol: Cholesterol is a waxy
substance found in the blood. High
cholesterol contributes to strokes, heart
attacks, and kidney disease.
Importance of ABCs: Keeping your ABCs under control can lower your risk of:
Having a heart attack or stroke
Having a heart attack at a younger age
Getting kidney disease
Importance of Low Blood Sugar: Keeping your blood sugar low can prevent certain diabetes
caused problems such as:
Eye disease that lead to vision loss or blindness
Kidney disease
Nerve damage (neuropathy) which can cause numbness or pain in hands and feet
The removal of toes, fingers, or other body parts removed by surgery (amputated)
ABC Levels: The levels you should aim for will depend on the severity of your diabetes, your
age, and other health problems you may have. Many people aim for ABC levels of:
A1C: below 7 percent
Blood Pressure: below 140/90, or lower in some cases
LDL Cholesterol (one type of cholesterol, often called “bad cholesterol”): below
100
2. Controlling your ABCs:
Medicines: Most people take medicine every day to control their blood sugar. They also
might need to check their blood sugar every day.
Lifestyle changes: The choices you make every day about the foods you eat and the way
you live can have a huge impact on your ABCs. Some lifestyle choices you can make to
maintain you ABCs include:
o Making healthy food choices: Eat
lots of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat
dairy products. Limit the amount of meat and fried
or fatty foods that you eat.
o Be active: Walk, garden, or do
something active for 30 minutes on most days of
the week.
o Stop smoking: Smoking increases
your chances of heart attack or stroke, or
developing cancer.
o Lose weight: Being overweight
increases the risk of many health problems.
o Avoid alcohol: Alcohol can
increase blood sugar and blood pressure.
Luckily, many of these lifestyle changes listed above can improve all 3 of the
ABCs. The table below illustrates how these lifestyle changes impact your ABCs.
What You Can Do Helps with
A1C
Helps with
Blood
Pressure
Helps with
Cholesterol
Taking medicines everyday
X X X
Eating a diet low in saturated fat and
cholesterol, but rich in fruits, vegetables,
and low-fat dairy products
X X X
Limit the amount of salt (sodium) you eat
X
Be active
X X X
Lose weight if you are overweight
X X X