Prevent or control diabetes, reduce your risk for heart disease
|PATIENT STORIES: JUDY HENDERSON, 66
If you have diabetes, you're much more likely to have heart disease, a heart attack or a stroke. In fact, two out of three people with diabetes die from heart disease or stroke. But you can cut your chances of having these problems by taking special care of your heart and blood vessels.
Judy Henderson, 66, of Naperville, took action and now has her diabetes under control.
"I was discouraged," says Henderson. "For six years my A1C scores had been going up, even though I was taking insulin."
A1C, a test of average blood glucose levels over two to three months, is a key indicator of how well diabetes is controlled.
"In March 2010 when my score reached 7.5 – it's supposed to be under 7 – my doctor sent me to the Edward Diabetes Center. Three months later, my A1C was 6.1 and I'd lost 35 pounds, without focusing on losing weight. Now I need less medication and feel much better."
Staff at the Edward Diabetes Center work with patients like Judy to help them make lifestyle changes that lead to healthier diets, increased activity and, ultimately, lower A1C scores.
"Goals have to be doable," says Brenda Jagatic, a clinical nurse educator with the Edward Diabetes Center. "If the person hasn't exercised in 15 years, we're not going to recommend starting with 45 minutes of daily exercise. Instead, we might suggest a 10-15 minute walk, three times a day."
Henderson says they discussed her A1C numbers and reviewed her log to determine what might work best.
"It helped to take my blood sugar four times a day instead of just once," says Henderson. "The most beneficial thing was learning to keep records. I now log meter readings, the carbs I eat, my activities and medications."
For more information about the Edward Diabetes Center, visit www.edward.org/diabetes or call (630) 527-3213.