Learn More About Diabetes
What is diabetes?
Having diabetes means your body either cannot produce or cannot properly use insulin, the hormone that lets your body process sugar and fat. When the body can't process sugar and fat properly, serious complications can result.
There are two types of diabetes. Type 1 occurs mostly in children and young adults. In Type 1, the body does not produce insulin. Type 2, the most common type, results from the body's inability to use the insulin it produces.
Why should I care about diabetes?
Uncontrolled diabetes can lead to heart attacks, blindness, kidney failure, and leg amputations. But you can control diabetes. Work with your doctor or nurse to develop a self-care plan. Diabetes self-care can prevent some of these problems.
What can I do if I have diabetes?
- Work with your doctor on a comprehensive plan to control your diabetes.
- Have an A1C blood test two to four times a year. The A1C test is the best way to know if your diabetes is in control. A level below 7 percent is recommended.
- Have a dilated eye exam yearly by an eye doctor (an ophthalmologist or optometrist).
- Control your blood pressure. If your blood pressure is higher than 130/80, ask your doctor if you should receive treatment.
- Control your cholesterol level. Ask your doctor to check your LDL level at least every year.
- Learn proper foot care. Know how to examine your feet and have your doctor examine your feet on a regular basis.
- Don't smoke. Smoking and diabetes make a deadly combination.
Paticipate and Take Control
If you have been living with diabetes, you may feel you need help to keep it in control. For help with managing your condition, access our Diabetes Disease Management Program. Help is available for BCBSNM members — call toll-free 1-866-252-8106 for more information about our disease management programs.
Tools and Information
Some of the information below is available in Adobe Acrobat PDF format. If you need Acrobat Reader, download it free of charge from Adobe's site.
- Diabetes flier (PDF 37K)
- Diabetes Personal Yearly Health Planner (PDF 145K)
- The A1C Test "tells it like it is" brochure (PDF 1.8M)
- A Guide to Diabetic Foot Care flier (PDF 41K)
- Diabetes and Eye Disease flier (PDF 42K)
- Diabetes Information via the Personal Health Manager: BCBSNM members can log in to Blue Access for Members to access extensive information on diabetes.
- Diabetes information on other health-related Web sites*:
*We do our best to ensure that the information on the other health-related Web sites listed above is useful, but can't be responsible for the content of those sites or any information you may take from them (please read our legal disclaimer). When you click on a choice above, it will open in a new window so that you can explore that site without having to leave here. When you are through visiting the other site, you can close that window and return to the BCBSNM site.
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