March 1, 2017
Holiday Overindulgence? Get Your A1-C Tested and Manage Your Diabetes!
Diabetes is one of the most prevalent diseases in the United States. Millions of Americans are making an effort every day to properly manage their diabetes. It is important to note that there are two different types of diabetes – Type 1 Diabetes and Type 2 Diabetes. In short, Type 1 diabetics is often diagnosed as early as childhood and individuals have a total lack of insulin – they are completely insulin dependent. Type 2 diabetics tend to be overweight and do not have enough insulin, or their body does not effectively use insulin. The American Diabetes Association notes just how many Americans have diabetes and how many deaths it leads to each year, “In 2012, 29.1 million Americans, or 9.3% of the population, had diabetes. Approximately 1.25 million American children and adults have type 1 diabetes…Diabetes remains the 7th leading cause of death in the United States in 2010, with 69,071 death certificates listing it as the underlying cause of death, and a total of 234,051 death certificates listing diabetes as an underlying or contributing cause of death.” Those statistics are alarming and point to a significant need to manage diabetes so that individuals with diabetes can live a long and healthy life.
During the holiday season there tends to be a lot of sugary treats and indulgent food and drinks. Overindulgence can be dangerous for anyone’s waistline but many diabetics can fail to properly manage their diabetes through the holiday season. If you over-indulged during the holidays and failed to manage your diabetes, now is the time to get back on track. For diabetics, maintaining a low A1-C is of utmost importance. It is not just important to try to maintain a low A1-C but to also have it checked from time to time to ensure it is the proper level. Your A1-C indicates how well your glucose is under control – if your A1-C level is elevated, it is a good indicator that you need to make some changes to your diet and lifestyle to improve your health. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disorders explains how the A1-C test works and why it is an important tool in managing diabetes “The A1C test is based on the attachment of glucose to hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen. In the body, red blood cells are constantly forming and dying, but typically they live for about 3 months. Thus, the A1C test reflects the average of a person’s blood glucose levels over the past 3 months. The A1C test result is reported as a percentage. The higher the percentage, the higher a person’s blood glucose levels have been. A normal A1C level is below 5.7 percent.” If you overindulged during the holidays or are just concerned your A1-C may not be at an ideal level, we invite you to come into DC Ranch Family Medicine and have your A1-C tested so that you are armed with knowledge and be prepared to optimize your health.
