Management of hypertension is vitally important in preventing the complications of diabetes. Your diabetes team at the Diabetes Wellness Center will measure your blood pressure at each visit. The target blood pressure is < 130/80. Lowering your blood pressure even lower may provide additional protection against complications including renal disease. Nutrition and exercise play an important role in controlling your blood pressure. Please ask your doctor or Diabetes Educator what you can do through lifestyle changes to keep blood pressure under control.

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      It's little wonder that people with diabetes hear a lot about the importance of dieting. About 90% of all people with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes are overweight. Obesity increases insulin resistance and contributes to many health problems, including heart and blood vessel disease. When obese people with type 2 diabetes lose weight, they often experience a lowering of their blood glucose levels and are then able to decrease their insulin or oral diabetes medications.
     Many people without diabetes are also trying to lose excess weight. New diets are published every week, and each one promises that you can lose a lot of weight in a very short time. The overweight person with diabetes may start to believe that eating a bizarre - and unhealthy - combination of foods is the only way anyone can lose weight. Although many people do indeed lose weight while on a fad diet, most of them gain it all back once they go off the diet. So they try another diet, and the never-ending search for "the one that works" continues.
     These people don't realize that they regain the weight between diets because they never give up the old eating habits that make them fat in the first place.
     The diabetes team at the Diabetes Wellness Center will check your weight at each visit. Comparing your weight from prior visits helps to identify trends.
     If you are overweight, even a small (5-7%) weight loss, is beneficial. A small weight loss can help you achieve better blood sugar control, lower blood pressure, and help you feel better in general.
     A weight loss program "Lighten Up and Live" has been specially designed for the Choctaw diabetics. The pilot group will complete the program in June of 2003. At that time the program will be offered at multiple sites throughout Choctaw Nation.

For more information call 800-349-7026, ext. 6500.

     To assess your average blood sugar control for the past 2-3 months and hemoglobin A1C test is done at 3-4month intervals. The results are discussed with patient at their clinic visit. Acceptable A1C is < 7.0%. If patients are at an acceptable A1C level they should be tested every 6 months.
     Self-monitoring Blood Glucose records are vital to diabetes management decisions. Keeping a log of your results and bringing them to each visit is vital. The provider will discuss the A1C results and blood glucose records with the patient at each visit.

     Diabetics can develop many different foot problems and even ordinary problems can get worse and lead to serious complications. Foot problems most often happen when there is nerve damage in the feet or when blood flow is poor. At each visit the provider inspects the feet and nails. They check for ingrown toenails, calluses, deformities, pressure points, ulcers and cellulitis.