Type 2 diabetes is a chronic, lifelong condition. Diabetes is caused by two core defects: the pancreas not making an appropriate amount of insulin and the body’s cells not taking in glucose (sugar) as they should. “That tends to get worse over time,” says Laurie Kane, MD, an endocrinologist at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California. Due to these changes, your diabetes treatment plan may require adjustments through the years to help keep things under control. Knowing when and if you need to make changes to your treatment plan can be tricky. While some symptoms — losing weight despite eating more, blurry vision — may be more noticeable, others — fatigue, dry eyes — are harder to recognize as a sign that you may benefit from a treatment change. “Diabetes can be a silent disease,” explains Dr. Kane. That’s why it’s important to work with your primary care provider or endocrinologist to monitor it closely. “We really want your numbers at the levels that have been proven in research studies to prevent complications,” she adds. The most important number to be aware of is your hemoglobin A1C, which measures the average amount of sugar in your blood over the past 3 months. “A1C is our main measurement to understand your average blood glucose. It’s used to diagnose diabetes and to monitor the effectiveness of treatment,” says Kane. The higher the number, the higher your blood sugar is. According to the American Diabetes Association, (ADA), an A1C below 7 percent is the goal for most adults who have diabetes. Is your type 2 diabetes treatment working as well as it should to keep these measurements within healthy ranges? Take the assessment to find out.
