1. With Open Eyes
Presented by:
Regina Weitzman, MD

2. Objetives
Provide a clear and simple definition of diabetes and pre-diabetes
Create awareness about the link between diabetes and retinopathy (eye disease)
Create awareness about how to manage diabetes in a simple way that participants can remember
Participants will be able to identify 3 simple tests for charting awareness and managing diabetes
Participants will be able to identify 3 actions that can be taken to maintain good general health and good eye health
Participants will be given resources to incorporate into their daily routine to decrease risk for eye problems

3. DIABETES
When you eat, your body breaks food down into sugar and sends it into your bloodstream.
Insulin (made in the pancreas) helps get the sugar from the blood into the cells to be used for energy needed for daily life. It’s like the key that opens the door for the cells.
Diabetes is when the body does not make enough insulin or the insulin it makes does not work well. Too much sugar in the blood can mean that a person has diabetes.

4. What is Pre-Diabetes?
Pre-diabetes is when a person has too much sugar in their blood, but not quiet high enough to be called diabetes. ( mg/dl).
People with pre-diabetes:
Can make changes to their eating habits to help them lose weight and increase their physical activity to delay or prevent diabetes.
Eating healthy is for everyone, but it is especially important for managing or preventing diabetes. If you have diabetes or pre-diabetes, what and how much you eat can affect your blood sugar.

5. Signs and Symptoms of Diabetes
Excessive thirst
Frequent urination
Excessive hunger
Weight loss
Fatigue
Slow healing cuts or infections
Presistent itching
CHANGES IN VISION

6. What are some problems related to diabetes?
Heart disease
Stroke
Eye problems (retinopathy).
Kidney problems (nephropathy).
Wound care
Amputations (neuropathy).
Dental problems
Eye problems
Frequent infections

7. ABC’s of Diabetes
A- is for A1C
B- is for Blood Pressure
C- is for Cholesterol

8. A-1-C
The A1C check tells you your average blood glucose levels for the past 2 to 3 months. Think of it as a blood check with a “memory”.
Your A1C target should be less than 7.
The A1C test provides your health care provider with a baseline of information on how well your diabetes is under control
The A1C test is a good indicator of what is a normal level for you.

9. Which activities can a person do to better manage their diabetes and lower their A1C?
Take your medication as instructed
Monitor my blood glucose more closely and record all responses to share with your health care provider
Be more active
Work with your health care provider to develop a plan for your diabetes management
Develop a healthy meal plan
Lose weight

10. Blood Pressure
Your blood pressure numbers tell you the force of your blood inside your blood vessels. When your pressure is high, your heart has to work harder.
Your blood pressure target should be 130/80

11. Blood Pressure
The target for blood pressure in good diabetes management is below 130/80.
Blood pressure has two numbers, the diastolic (top number) and systolic (bottom). The top number (130) is the pressure as the heart beats and pushes blood into the blood vessels.
The bottom number (80) is the pressure when the heart rests between beats and vessels relax.

12. Ways to manage blood pressure
Follow a meal plan that includes more fruits and vegetables
Reduce the amount of salt eaten
Lose weight
Quit smoking
Take your blood pressure medication as prescribed
Work to reduce any stress you might be experiencing

13. Cholesterol
Your cholesterol numbers tell you about the amount of fat in your blood. Once type is called HDL cholesterol which helps to protect your heart. Another type, LDL cholesterol can clog your blood vessels or lead to hardening of the arteries.

14. What are normal cholesterol levels for people with diabetes?
Colesterol LDL – less than 100
Colesterol HDL – higher than 40 for men, and higher than 50 for women

15. Ways to manage Cholesterol
Make wise food choices to reduce the fat in your diet and choose fewer high-cholesterol foods
Lose weight
Become more physically active
Quit smoking
Keep your blood glucose levels close to your target

16. What is diabetic retinopathy?
Diabetes and Eye Care
What is diabetic retinopathy?
The retina is the tissue that lines the back of the eye. Retinopathy is the damage, or changes in the retina’s blood vessels, which causes loss of vision.
In some people with retinopathy, their vessels may swell and leak fluid. In others, fragile new blood vessels grow because the eye is seeking nourishment that has been blocked by the damage or leaking. Retinas cannot be repaired or replaced.

17. How does diabetes affect the eyes?
Diabetes allows too much glucose to remain in the blood, which can damage blood vessels. The damaged vessels may drip blood into the tissue of the eye or the eye might grow new veins on the retina that create vision problems or even blindness.

18. Who is at risk?
Retinopathy is the leading cause of blindness in adults today and anyone with circulation problems, such as those caused by diabetes is at risk. Hispanics/Latinos are specially at risk.
Studies show that Hispanics/Latinos with diabetes have a higher rate of severe vision threatening retinopathy than other races.

19. Who is at risk?
People with diabetes are at risk for retinopathy. The likelihood and severity of retinopathy increases with :
How long you have had diabetes
If diabetes is poorly controlled
Uncontrolled blood pressure
The longer you have diabetes, the more likely you will lose some or all of your eyesight.

20. Prevention and Working with your Healthcare Provider
People with diabetes who have retinopathy can reduce their risk of blindness by having yearly eye exams, good treatment and follow up care. Taking care of your overall health works! Research shows that taking care of your blood pressure and blood glucose levels can lower the risk for blindness.
Distribute appendix “H” – Questions to ask your Eye Specialist.

21. For more information Contact the American Diabetes Association at:
1-800-DIABETES ( ) or online at:
Locally, call: