A diagnosis of diabetes or pre-diabetes can feel like a setback, but with careful monitoring, diabetes can be managed. And thanks to frequent new approaches to management, diabetes is becoming a medical condition that doesn't have to restrict your lifestyle.
Living a long and healthy life with diabetes is entirely possible. But it requires an understanding of diabetes and your commitment to properly caring for and fueling your body.
Self-Management
At HonorHealth, an experienced team can help you prevent, delay or manage diabetes and reduce the risk of complications. The Diabetes Self-Management Training (DSMT) program and its certified diabetes educators can instruct both inpatients and outpatients.
Through a personalized approach, you'll:
- Receive the training needed to manage your diabetes and information to make healthy choices.
- Learn how your body reacts to food, exercise, oral diabetes medication, insulin and other factors that affect diabetes.
- Acquire strategies to control your blood glucose. The ultimate goal is to help reduce your risk for complications and keep you healthy.
Sixth-leading Cause of Death
A chronic disease, diabetes means your body doesn't make enough, or properly use, insulin. The healthy range for fasting blood glucose is between 70 and 99. Type 2 diabetes may be diagnosed if a fasting blood glucose level is 126 or higher. Pre-diabetes may be diagnosed if your fasting blood glucose level is between 100 and 125. With adequate education and changes to your diet when you are pre-diabetic, you may be able to prevent the onset of diabetes.
Diabetes affects more than 29 million people in the U.S., and more than one in four people don't even know they have it. Diabetes is the sixth-leading cause of death by disease in this country, and it can double your chance of developing heart disease or suffering a stroke.
There's no cure for diabetes, but research has shown that proper care — including eating the right foods, getting enough exercise and using the most effective medication — can help prevent long-term complications.
Staying Well
The HonorHealth Diabetes Center can be your partner in maintaining your well-being, whether you have pre-diabetes or diabetes. For more information, to make an appointment, or to learn more about diabetes classes, please call 480-323-4921.