Managing diabetes is a daily commitment. Watching your weight, checking your blood sugar and staying active are all things you can do to keep your diabetes under control. The American Diabetes Association also suggests the following goals for most people with diabetes. You can print this list for your reference:
Daily
- Review blood sugar before meals (70-130)
- Review blood sugar two hours after a meal(below 180)
At Every Diabetes Visit
- Review blood sugars
- Check blood pressure (below 130/80)
- Review meal plan
- Review activity level
- Check weight
- Discuss questions and concerns
At Least Every Six Months
- Have Hemoglobin A1c tested (below 7)
At Least Every Year
- Physical exam
- Complete foot exam
- Dilated eye exam
- Microalbumin test (below 30)
- Cholesterol test (total below 200; HDL above 40; LDL below 100)
- Triglycerides (below 150)
- Receive a flu shot
Always talk to your health care provider about ongoing diabetes education, any unusual symptoms you experience and new therapies to treat the condition. You may also want to ask about getting a pneumonia vaccination, taking aspirin and assistance with quiting smoking if you are a smoker.