Diabetes: Knowing Your Numbers is Key to Good Health
Courtney Carter
/ Categories: WELLNESS, 2024

Diabetes: Knowing Your Numbers is Key to Good Health

Managing diabetes can sometimes feel overwhelming. But, by keeping tabs on 6 key numbers and adjusting your lifestyle as needed, you can take control of your diabetes and lower your risk of heart disease and stroke.  

Here's a look at essential numbers you should know and monitor.

Blood Glucose Levels

Blood glucose monitoring is the cornerstone of diabetes management. There are two primary ways to measure your blood glucose:

1. Self-Monitoring of Blood Glucose (SMBG)

This involves checking your blood sugar at home using a glucose meter. The frequency of testing depends on your individual needs and your doctor's recommendations. Generally, you should aim for the following targets:

  • Before meals: 80-130 mg/dL

  • Two hours after meals: Less than 180 mg/dL

2. Hemoglobin A1C (HbA1C)

This test provides an average of your blood glucose levels over the past 2-3 months. It's typically measured every 3-6 months.

  • Target A1C: Less than 7% for most adults with diabetes

Blood Pressure

High blood pressure can increase your risk of heart disease and stroke, which are common complications of diabetes.

  • Target blood pressure: Below 140/90 mmHg

Cholesterol Levels

Managing cholesterol is crucial for reducing cardiovascular risk. You should know your:

  • LDL (bad) cholesterol

    • Target LDL: Below 100 mg/dL

  • HDL (good) cholesterol

    • Target HDL: Above 40 mg/dL for men, above 50 mg/dL for women

  • Triglycerides

    • Target Triglycerides: Below 150 mg/dL

Body Mass Index (BMI)

Maintaining a healthy weight is essential for diabetes management. BMI is a measure of body fat based on height and weight.

  • Target BMI: Between 18.5 and 24.9

Waist Circumference

Excess abdominal fat is associated with insulin resistance and increased cardiovascular risk.

  • Target waist circumference:

    • Men: Less than 40 inches

    • Women: Less than 35 inches

Kidney Function

Diabetes can affect kidney function over time. Your doctor may monitor your:

  • Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate (eGFR)

    • Target eGFR: Above 60 mL/min/1.73 m²

  • Urine Albumin-to-Creatinine Ratio (UACR)

    • Target UACR: Below 30 mg/g

Yes, that’s a lot of numbers to track. Fortunately, there are several tools and things you can do make it easier to stay on top of it all. For example:

  1. Use a diabetes management app to log your numbers and track trends over time.

  2. If you prefer pen and paper, keep a physical logbook.

  3. Set reminders for regular testing and doctor's appointments.

The Vermont Department of Health offers this handy guide for keeping track of when and how often different labs and office visits should be scheduled.

  1. Learn to interpret your numbers and understand how lifestyle factors affect them. If you have questions, reach out to a certified diabetes educator for help.

By consistently monitoring your key metrics and sharing them with your healthcare provider during your visits, you can take an active role in your diabetes management.  

 

Paula Haytko, RN, is a certified diabetes educator with Southwestern Vermont Medical Center.

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5 Questions with the Chair of the Department of Surgery

Malcolm Paine, MD, of SVMC OB/GYN, serves as the chair of the Department of Surgery. We asked him five questions about COVID-19 and how it feels to deliver care right now.

SVMC: What would you like to share with patients at this time?
MP: First, on behalf of the Department of Surgery, I would like to acknowledge how tough it has been for our community members who have been affected by this pandemic. We see such tremendous strength in those who have been ill or lost loved ones to illness and in those who are working hard to get by without a job or while homeschooling their children. We are proud to be part of this community, whose careful social distancing efforts have prevented an unmanageable surge.

We are grateful, too, that as restrictions loosen, we can get back to seeing patients and providing care in a timely way. On the surface, the care may look or feel a little different—everyone will be wearing masks, for instance—but once we get accustomed to the changes, we hope that you will recognize the same level of personalized care we all enjoyed before COVID-19.

SVMC: What are the potential risks associated with postponing care?
MP: There are many types of surgery that can be delayed for a short time, often without any negative repercussions . However, surgery is often for situations that cause pain, and delaying the procedure can result in that pain getting worse or not getting better. Sometimes, there are situations where a minor surgery, if delayed, can turn into a more major or emergency surgery, and the patient can become very sick.

SVMC: In general, what additional precautions have been put in place to ensure that care is safe?
MP: We are absolutely committed to the safety of our patients, staff, and the community. We know how important it is for patients to be able to know and trust that we have their safety in mind at all times. We always want to use the best science and advice from the State to guide our practices. We have put several new measures in place.

We screen all patients and advocates who come to the hospital to make sure they do not have a fever or possible symptoms of COVID-19. All staff also undergo daily screening for fever and symptoms to make sure those looking after patients are healthy. We are also testing all patients with planned surgical procedures for COVID-19. This is performed as an outpatient test at no cost to the patient and increases our confidence that we are not putting patients or staff at increased risk. Patients with a scheduled surgery are encouraged to call ahead if they are feeling unwell, and after surgery, patients will be asked to check for fever for 14 days to make sure they stay healthy.

SVMC: How would patients be notified if COVID risk increased rapidly?
MP: There is always the chance that there may be a new "surge." In that case, a directive to stop elective procedures would likely come from the State. We may also decide, as a hospital, to stop these procedures in order to keep everyone safe. In that case, we would call the patients to let them know that their scheduled case is delayed until the risk decreases.

SVMC: How would you estimate the risk of contracting COVID-19 at the hospital right now?
MP: We are tracking these numbers on a daily basis. With all of these safety measures in place and due to the very low numbers of cases we are seeing in this area at the present time, we estimate this risk is extremely low.

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