Blood Glucose 101
With medication and monitoring, diabetics attempt a delicate balancing act to keep their blood glucose within the normal range. If their , it can lead to injuries, coma and even death. The symptoms of low blood glucose happen quickly and can include symptoms such as shakiness, confusion, unconsciousness or dizziness. If their blood glucose is too high, then its more devastating effects usually occur over prolonged periods of time, but immediate symptoms include excessive thirst and frequent urination.
Below are the target blood glucose levels for diabetics:
Are you at risk?
According to the American Diabetes Association, 25.8 million Americans have diabetes. Of that number, there are 7 million people with the disease who are undiagnosed. In addition, there are a staggering 79 million people with prediabetes.
If this trend continues, by 2050, 1 in 3 Americans will have diabetes. One of the biggest contributing factors is the rise in obesity. If you have one or more of the following risk factors, talk to your doctor about testing and prevention:
Take control
If you suspect that you have diabetes, to check your blood glucose and to test your , which will give you an idea of your blood glucose levels over the last three months.
“You also want to ask your doctor to check your cholesterol and blood pressure, as these risk factors many times cluster together, especially in overweight individuals,” said , an endocrinologist at .
If you have diabetes, check your blood regularly and consider enrolling in the .
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