Managing Diabetes ABCs
More than 29 million Americans—or about 9 percent of the U.S. population—have diabetes, and it is estimated that one in every four people with diabetes does not even know they have the disease. In the state of Michigan, it is estimated that 10 percent—or 758,300—of adults have been diagnosed with diabetes, while an additional 250,200 adults are currently undiagnosed. If left undiagnosed or untreated, diabetes can lead to serious health problems, including kidney failure, heart attack, and stroke.
This November, the National Kidney Foundation of Michigan (NKFM) is encouraging people with diabetes to “Control the ABCs of Diabetes” in order to prevent diabetes-related health complications down the road. Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure, causing more than 40 percent of all kidney failure cases. The good news is that people with diabetes can lower their chance of having diabetes-related health problems by managing their Diabetes ABCs:
A is for the A1C test (A-one-C). This is a blood test that measures your average blood sugar (glucose) level over the past three months.
B is for Blood pressure.
C is for Cholesterol.
S is for stopping smoking.
“Many people do not understand that having diabetes can affect many parts of the body and is associated with serious complications such as kidney failure, heart disease and stroke, blindness, and more,” said Art Franke, Senior Vice President of Programs at the National Kidney Foundation of Michigan. “Managing the ABCs of diabetes can help prevent diabetes-related health complications.”
If you have diabetes, ask your health care team what your A1C, blood pressure, and cholesterol numbers are, and what they should be. Your ABC goals will depend on how long you have had diabetes and other health problems. For additional diabetes resources, community events and programs, and more, visit www.nkfm.org/DiabetesMonth or call the NKFM at 800-482-1455. You can also check out the National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP) for great diabetes management tools and information at www.YourDiabetesInfo.org/DiabetesMonth2014.
