What They Are While being diabetic increases your possibility of having a heart attack, stroke and other diabetes-related problems, monitoring your A1C (blood glucose), blood pressure and cholesterol levels helps you reduce these risks. Here's what you need to know about your diabetes ABCs.
- A stands for the A1C test, which indicates your blood glucose level for the past three months. For most people, the A1C goal is a reading below 7. High blood glucose levels can harm your heart, blood vessels, kidneys, feet and eyes.
- B stands for blood pressure. For most people, the goal is a reading that's no higher than 130/80. The higher your blood pressure the harder your heart needs to work and the greater the possibility that you will have a heart attack, stroke or kidney disease.
- C stands for cholesterol. There are two types: LDL ("bad" cholesterol), which can build up and clog blood vessels, causing a heart attack or stroke; and HDL ("good" cholesterol), which helps remove cholesterol from your blood vessels. For most people, the LDL goal is a reading that is under 100 and the HDL goal is a reading above 40.
What You Should Do If you've been diagnosed with diabetes, ask your physician what your numbers are and what they should be, and follow a diabetes-healthy lifestyle that combines diet and exercise as designated by your health care team. And monitor your ABCs!
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