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Know your ABCs
"ABC" outlines the tests that everyone with diabetes should regularly have to monitor their heart disease and stroke risks.
Having diabetes can be like having a heart attack. The same things – high cholesterol, high blood pressure, insulin resistance, physical inactivity and obesity – can cause both.
In fact, if you have diabetes you're two to four times more likely to die of heart disease or stroke than someone without diabetes.
Mary Frederick, RN, diabetes program manager for Allina Medical Clinic, says, "The risks need to be taken seriously." That's why she and other health care professionals remind people with diabetes to "know your ABCs."
A is for A1c.
The hemoglobin A1c test measures your average glucose (sugar) level over the past two to three months. You should have this test at least twice a year.
The name of the test comes from the fact that the hemoglobin in your red blood cells carries glucose. The more glucose in the red blood cell, the higher the hemoglobin A1c.
Most people with diabetes should have an A1c level of 7 percent or less. A higher level usually means your glucose is too high and your treatment plan should change.
B is for blood pressure.
At every doctor's visit, have your blood pressure checked. This will let you and your doctor know whether your care plan is working or needs adjusting. Ideally, your blood pressure should be below 130/80.
C is for cholesterol.
Cholesterol is a fat-like substance made by your liver and found in food. Too much cholesterol in your blood can cause heart disease, stroke and insulin resistance.
Every year, people with diabetes should have a blood test of all three kinds of cholesterol.
- LDL (low density lipoprotein) cholesterol is the "bad" cholesterol that can cause plaque to build up in your arteries. When you have diabetes, it's important to keep your LDL level below 100. Experts see benefits with LDLs as low as 70.
- HDL (high density lipoprotein) cholesterol is the "good" cholesterol that helps get rid of extra cholesterol from your blood and tissue.
- Triglycerides come from too much fat or too many calories in the food you eat. Your body may use them for energy or store them as fat.
General screenings, like those done at stores or community centers, aren’t enough for people with diabetes. "Go to your clinic for a test that reports all three kinds of cholesterol, the kind that requires you to fast for 12 hours beforehand," says Frederick. "If your cholesterol is not normal, your doctor will then know best how to improve it."
Related Links
Diabetes care card (requires Adobe Reader)
The diabetes/heart disease risk: How to keep it from claiming you
"Dialog: Living with Diabetes" newsletter
Source: American Diabetes Association (www.diabetes.org/uedocuments/ABCs.pdf); Laurie Asch, RN, certified nurse practitioner, Allina Medical Clinic-Northfield, Routine lab scheduling and range values, Dialog, Aug. 2000; Mary Frederick, RN, diabetes program manager, Allina Medical Clinic; United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, Nov. 7, 2003
First published: 12/08/2003
Last updated: 10/31/2005
Reviewed by: Paul Kleeberg, MD, medical director, Internet/Intranet Services, Allina Hospitals & Clinics