American Diabetes Month is about managing diabetes.  Diabetes is a serious disease.  If it isn’t managed, it can damage many parts of the body, leading to heart attacks, strokes, amputation, blindness, kidney failure and nerve damage.  But there is good news: diabetes complications can be prevented or delayed by properly managing blood glucose, blood pressure and cholesterol levels.  Eating healthy, being physically active and quitting smoking also can help lower the risk of diabetes complications.  To manage diabetes, you will work with your health care team to make a plan that helps you reach your goals and keep track of the ABC’s of diabetes.  A is for A1C – your average blood glucose for the past 2 to 3 months; B is for blood pressure and C is for cholesterol.  For more information on prevention and management, go towww.diabetes.org.

“Nearly 26 million children and adults have diabetes in the United States, including nearly 400,000 in Maryland” says Kathy Rogers, Executive Director of the American Diabetes Association, Maryland Chapter.  “We know this disease impacts everyone in different ways.It’s time to come together as a community and pledge to stop this deadly disease.”