A stands for “A1C” which is a test that looks at your control of blood sugar over the last 3 months.
B stands for “blood pressure”. High blood pressure puts you at risk for heart attack, stroke, and kidney disease.
C stands for “cholesterol” Cholesterol is a waxy substance found in the blood. High cholesterol is another factor that increases your risk of heart attacks, strokes, and other serious problems.
The second set of ABC’s
A stands for “activity” – increasing your activity, walking, biking, swimming, running, or doing whatever you love to do.
B stands for reducing your “belly” and weight. We know with diabetes weight around the tummy is especially important even a few percentage lost can make a really big difference.
C stands for “change”. Your belief and ability to change can have a big impact on diabetes also creating new social contacts with people who want to change.
The third set of ABC’s
A stands for “appointment”. Schedule a regular visit with your clinic every 3 to 4 months so you can review how you are doing over time. We need to measure you so we can tweak your medications or lifestyle choices to improve your chances of staying healthy.
B stands for “BMI”. Body mass index is a measure for human body shape based on an individual’s mass and height. The target range for diabetics is 18.5 – 24.9.
C stands for “control” – you are in control of looking after your health and taking your medication and knowing what they are used for. We are here to help you but ultimately it is up to you to keep yourself healthy.
What should my ABC levels be? — The levels you should aim for will depend on how severe your diabetes is, how old you are, and what other health problems you have. Ask your doctor or nurse what your target levels should be.
In summary from above many people with diabetes aim for:
A1C levels below 7 percent
Activity – aerobic activity (30minutes) most days of the week and resistance training three times per week
Appointment – Schedule a regular visit every 3-4 months.
Blood Pressure below 130/80, (or lower in some cases, your doctor may help you set a different goal).
Belly –waist circumference, Male <94cm and Female <80cm
BMI – targeted to be 18.5 – 24.9
Cholesterol – LDL = level below 2.6 mmol/L (LDL is one type of cholesterol, often called the “bad cholesterol” or “lousy cholesterol”)
Change and Control – you can change and you are in control. We are here to help you along the way to better health.
How can I control my ABC’s? — You and your doctor will work together to create a plan to keep your ABC’s under control. Remember to write down all the numbers so you can keep track of where you are and where you are going.
Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live. ~Jim Rohn
Love my life and your life,
Peter Eppinga M.D.