Health Matters Topics

Return to Index Step 1: What is Diabetes?Step 2: Who Gets Type 2 Diabetes?Step 3: How Do You Know if You Have Diabetes?Step 4: You're in Charge! Designing a Treatment Plan Step 5: Monitor Your Blood Sugar Step 6: Lose Weight and Follow the Right Diet Step 7: Exercise Step 8: Drugs and Insulin Step 9: Treat Low Blood Sugar Step 10: Avoid Long-Term Complications Key Points Glossary

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Over 20 million Americans have diabetes and almost one-third are not aware that they have it. Uncontrolled diabetes can lead to heart disease, kidney failure, leg infections, and other serious health problems. In fact, diabetes is the leading cause of blindness in the United States.

By following the steps below and working with your healthcare team, you can prevent or control diabetes and even reduce your risk of long-term complications.

What About Low-Carb Diets?
What's the Role of Fiber?

I. Understanding Your Diabetes: Step 1: What is diabetes?; Step 2: Who gets type 2 diabetes?; Step 3: How do you know if you have diabetes?
II. Managing Your Diabetes: Step 4: You're in charge - design a treatment plan; Step 5: Monitor your blood sugar; Step 6: Lose weight and follow the right diet; Step 7: Exercise; Step 8: Drugs and insulin
III. Knowing the Consequences of Diabetes: Step 9: Treat low blood sugar; Step 10: Avoid long-term complications

Learn More

Are you overweight?

Counting carbohydrates

Gestational diabetes

Glycemic index

How to read a food label

Keeping track of your medications

Metabolic syndrome

Sweeteners and sugar substitutes

The Mediterranean diet

Type 2 diabetes drug index

Types of insulin

Helpful Handouts

Emergency warning signs

Calorie and fiber charts

Track your weight-loss goals

Review Date: 6/17/2008
Reviewed By: Elizabeth H. Holt, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Section of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Yale University, New Haven, CT. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Previously reviewed by Alan Greene, MD, FAAP, Department of Pediatrics, Packard Children's Hospital, Stanford University School of Medicine; Chief of Future Health, A.D.A.M., Inc. (5/1/2006)

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