Newly Diagnosed With Type 2 Diabetes? 3 Places to Start
Based on Diabetes UK, Early Blood Sugar Management in People with Type 2 Diabetes Has Lifelong Benefits
Take control of your type 2 diabetes early to prevent complications like nerve damage, heart disease, and kidney failure. Expert guidance from Charleston healthcare providers.
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In this guide
Know Your Numbers
- A1C below 7%, or your own goal
- Blood pressure below 130/80
- Yearly eye, kidney and foot checks
Move and Eat Well
- 150 minutes of moderate activity a week
- Strength training 2 to 3 times a week
- Whole grains, lean protein, vegetables
Care for Your Whole Self
- Diabetes distress deserves attention
- Lean on family, friends and groups
- Stress management matters too
What the guideline says
- Early diabetes management helps maintain your current health and can help prevent complications down the road.
- Good blood sugar control established early after diagnosis continues to protect you for years, an effect called metabolic memory.
- Landmark research found that starting insulin or sulfonylurea tablets early was linked to 17 percent fewer heart attacks and 26 percent fewer complications such as kidney failure and vision loss.
- Over time, poorly controlled diabetes can damage the nerves, kidneys and eyes and raise the risk of heart disease and stroke.
- A diabetes plan can include blood sugar monitoring, a nutrition strategy, regular physical activity and medicines such as metformin, SGLT2 inhibitors, GLP-1 medicines or insulin.
- Adults with diabetes are encouraged to aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity each week, plus strength training two to three times a week.
Source: Diabetes UK, Early Blood Sugar Management in People with Type 2 Diabetes Has Lifelong Benefits
Read the full article: Empower Your Health: The Benefits of Early Management of Type 2 Diabetes →
This guide is general health information and does not replace advice from your own provider.
Frequently Asked Questions
Numbness and tingling in the hands and feet, burning or shooting pain, loss of sensation that can lead to unnoticed injuries, and digestive or bladder control problems.
It can damage the blood vessels of the retina, leading to blurred or changing vision, dark spots or floaters, trouble seeing at night, and vision loss if untreated.
Yearly eye exams, kidney function tests and foot checks, along with managing blood pressure and cholesterol and not smoking.