Monitoring and Regulating Blood Sugar

Monitoring and Regulating Blood Sugar

JOIN FIGHT•LIVE RIGHT•BEAT DIABETES

Quick Facts about Diabetes

-Diabetes develops when your body can not make or properly use the hormone insulin which is normally made in the pancreas.

-The hormone insulin helps the cells in your body take in sugar from your bloodstream.

-Diabetes is diagnosed when a blood sugar know as glucose builds up in your bloodstream.

-High blood sugar levels make you feel tired and dehydrated.

-High blood sugar levels also damages your organs and increases your risk of heart disease.

Keeping blood sugar under control now can help reduce the risk of diabetes-related problems later.

Complications Arising From Diabetes

-Heart Disease: You are 2 to 3 times more likely to have heart disease or a stroke

-Eye Disorders: You are at risk for cataracts, glaucoma, and problems with the retina, which may cause blindness.

-Kidney Damage: About 20% to 40% of people with diabetes develop kidney disease, which could lead to kidney failure.

-Nerve Damage: Major cause for amputations. It may also lead to sexual dysfunction and other problems.

Who Gets Diabetes: Risk Factors You Can Control

- Overweight: If you weigh 20% more than your ideal weight, you are at higher risk.

-Smoking: Causes cells to resist insulin so they cannot get enough blood sugar.

-Being inactive: Leads to excess body fat, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

-High blood pressure and/or high cholesterol: Raises your risk of developing type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

Who Gets Diabetes: Risk Factors You Cannot Control

-Family History: Your risk is higher if you have a close relative with diabetes.

-Gestational Diabetes: Having a baby weighing over 9 lbs.

-Age: Type 2 diabetes is more common in people age 45 and older, but is rising among young people who are overweight and inactive.

-Ethnic group: African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, and Asian Americans are more likely than Caucasians to develop diabetes.

Prevalence of Diagnosed and Undiagnosed Diabetes among People Ages 20 Years or Older, United States, 2007
	Number of People in U.S. (Million)	Percent of People in U.S. (%)
Ages 20 years or older	23.5	10.7
Ages 60 years or older	12.2	23.1
Men*	12	11.2
Women*	11.5	10.2
Non-Hispanic Whites*	14.9	9.8
Non-Hispanic Blacks*	3.7	14.7
Total Population	23.6	7.8

*Ages 20 years or older

Monitoring

Blood sugar

-This is the most important test that you can do yourself. You should take blood sugar readings at least 2-4 times a day. Your healthcare provider will tell you exactly how often you should check your blood sugar. Home tests often show blood sugar levels that are about 10% lower that levels found in laboratory tests. So also have your blood sugar tested by your healthcare provider. Normal blood sugar levels are between 70-120 mg/dL

Hemoglobin A1c

- This blood test shows how well blood sugar levels have been managed during the past 2 to 3 months. A1c tests are usually done in a lab and are recommended to be done at least twice a year. You want to achieve an A1c reading of less than 7% (every 1% increase above 6% increases your risk of developing diabetes complications and heart attacks).

What Alc test results mean:

If your A1c was	Your average blood sugar was
6.3%	129 mg/dL
7%	146 mg/dL
8%	169 mg/dL
9%	192 mg/dL
10%	214 mg/dL
11%	237 mg/dL

Medicine

Four types of Type 2 diabetes medication

-Medicines that improve how your body uses its own natural insulin. They directly target insulin resistance.

-Medicines that reduce blood sugar production. They slow down the liver’s production of blood sugar.

-Medicines that boost insulin production. They cause your pancreas to make more insulin. They, however, may stop working over time.

-Medicines that slow blood sugar absorption. They lessen the amount of blood sugar absorbed in the intestines.

-Sometimes a combination of these medicines is needed.

Insulin

-About 40% of Americans with Type 2 diabetes take insulin.

-Some people take insulin in combination with their diabetes medication.

Remember that medicine should also be combined with regular exercise and healthy eating.

See your doctor and your dietitian/diabetes educator regularly.

For more diabetes support go to the Northeast Missouri Rural Health Network

CareLink Regional Services for Better Self-Management of Diabetes Program

webpage at http://www.mffhdiabetes.org/NEMissouri.html

Sources:

American Diabetes Association. (2009). Type 2 Diabetes. Retrieved September 28, 2009, from the American Diabetes Association webpage at

http://www.diabetes.org/type-2-diabetes.jsp.

National Diabetes Information Clearing House. (2008) National Diabetes Statistics, 2007. Retrieved September 28, 2009, from the NDIC webpage at

http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/DM/PUBS/statistics/#people.