Prevent Diabetes Problems

The National Institutes of Health Publication 08-4349, "Prevent Diabetes Problems: Keep Your Diabetes Under Control," addresses diabetes and how you can prevent or slow down related health problems. You may have one or more diabetes problems or none at all. If you get diabetes when you are young, you may not have diabetes problems for many years. If you find out you have diabetes as an adult, you may already have diabetes problems. Either way, keeping your blood glucose, blood pressure, and cholesterol under control can prevent diabetes problems. Too much glucose in the blood for a long time can cause diabetes problems. This high blood glucose, also called blood sugar, can damage many parts of the body, such as the heart, blood vessels, eyes, and kidneys. Heart and blood vessel disease can lead to heart attacks and strokes. You can do a lot to prevent or slow down diabetes problems by keeping your blood glucose levels on target and by learning what you can do to take care of yourself. This Publication is one of seven in a series that can help you learn more about how to prevent diabetes problems. These include: "Keep Your Diabetes Under Control," "Keep Your Heart and Blood Vessels Healthy," "Keep Your Kidneys Healthy," "Keep Your Eyes Healthy," "Keep Your Feet and Skin Healthy," "Keep Your Nervous System Healthy," and "Keep Your Mouth Healthy."