Diabetic Care FrankTorresMD.com

Diabetic Care – Lab work every 3 to 6 months  Every 3 months for blood sugar that is not controlled.  Every 6 months for blood sugar that is well controlled.  Lab work is to check your kidneys and liver that is damaged by Diabetes but can also be damage due to the medication taken (Lipitor, etc)  Hemoglobin A1c (3 month sugar average) determines if your sugar is controlled. A1c < 5.0% is normal A1c between 6.5%-7.0% is the goal A1c over 8% is uncontrolled Lowering A1c from 8% to 7% lowers complications by 25%

Diabetic Care – Blood Pressure  Blood pressure goal is now 130/80 and not 140/90  Every Diabetic should be on an ACE-Inhibitor to prevent kidney from spilling protein and has shown to delay the need for dialysis  Ace-Inhibitors include: Lisinopril, Benazepril, Ramipril, Trandolapril, Quinapril, and Enalapril

Diabetic Care – Cholesterol Medication  Only the Statins have shown to prevent the first heart attack in Diabetics.  The preferred Statins are: Zocor(Simvastatin), Lipitor(Atorvastatin), and Crestor (Rosuvastatin)

Diabetic Care – Foot Care  Check feet daily for blisters, redness, and cracks in skin  Report signs of infection to clinic as soon as possible  Pain  Redness  Warmth  Pus

Diabetic Care – Eye Care  Diabetic eye exam yearly  This is not exam for glasses  Checks for glaucoma  Checks for cataracts  Eyes dilated to check retina for diabetic changes

Diabetic Care - Other  PSA for males every year after 50  Mammograms for females every year after 50  Colonoscopy after 50 and then every 5 to 10 years  Or check stool for blood every year

Diabetic Care - Summary  Diet  Low cholesterol diet with no concentrated sugars (cokes, cookies, cakes, etc)  Exercise  Walking for 30 minutes EVERY day  Medication  Take as prescribed