To know how you’re doing with your diabetes control, the American Diabetes Association advises you to “know your ABCs” — your A1C (an indicator of blood glucose control), your blood pressure, and your cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
The following “ABC” targets have been set for healthy adults with diabetes:
A
A1C less than 7.0%, or lower if this can be achieved without significant hypoglycemia or other negative effects of treatment
B
Blood pressure lower than 130/80 mm Hg
C
Cholesterol and triglycerides
- HDL cholesterol for men, higher than 40 mg/dl; for women, higher than 50 mg/dl
- LDL cholesterol lower than 100 mg/dl, or lower than 70 mg/dl for people who have heart disease
- Triglycerides lower than 150 mg/dl
If you are not currently meeting these targets, ask your health-care team for help in getting closer.
