Diabetes: are you in control?

Testing your blood sugar frequently will keep you in control. Uncontrolled diabetes can cause diabetes complications (eye damage, kidney damage, leg amputation and more).

Your doctor should have given you a range for your blood sugar values. If you did not receive a range from your doctor here are some guidelines.

American Diabetes Association range for blood sugar values: 70mg/dl to 130mg/dl before meals; 70mg/dl to 180mg/dl two hours after a meal.

Most doctors want a tighter control for your blood sugar values: 70mg/dl to 110mg/dl before meals; 70mg/dl to 140mg/dl two hours after a meal.

According to the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT), keeping your blood sugar within the range can reduce diabetes complications (eye damage reduced by 70 percent, nerve damage by 60 percent, kidney damage by 50 percent and heart damage by 30 percent).